ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Acta Vulnologica 2012 December;10(4):259-64

Copyright © 2013 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English, Italian

SUV 2012. First results of the observational multicenter AIUC study for the epidemiology and treatment investigation of vascular ulcers of the lower limbs in Italy

Apollonio A. ¹, Antignani P. ², Di Salvo M. ³, Failla G. ³, Guarnera G. ⁴, Mosti G. ⁵, Ricci E. ⁶

¹ Belcolle Hospital, Viterbo, Italy; ² San Giovanni Hospital, Rome, Italy; ³ Vittorio Emanuele Hospital, Catania, Italy; ⁴ Immacolata Dermopathic Institute, Rome, Italy; ⁵ Barbantini Clinic, Lucca, Italy; ⁶ Casa di Cura San Luca, Turin, Italy

Aim. The aim of this study was the investigation of epidemiology and treatment of vascular ulcers of the lower limbs in Italy
Methods. This was a multicenter observational study promoted and conducted by AIUC from 2010 to 2011. In two years of activity 1163 patients in 58 centers throughout Italy were observed.
Results. The first data collected and analyzed show a predominance of female patients (62.1%) with an average age of about 70 years with comorbidity of hypertension (63.2%), diabetes (38.3%) and obesity (30.5%). The main ulcers reported were those with venous etiology (54.9%) or mixed venous-arterial (25.2%). Ulcers observed showed an important score of painfulness (VAS ranging from 4.4 to 6.3) and confirmed a significant negative impact on the quality of life of patients, limiting in most cases normal daily activities.
Conclusion. The results of the therapies used have finally showed different frequencies of wounds re-epithelialization with rates of healing at three months of 41.2% in the case of venous ulcers, of 36.6% in those mixed (arterial and venous) and of 28.9% in the arterial-diabetic. In particular, in the case of venous ulcers, a significant positive impact of drug therapy in combination with local therapy about the frequency and timing of healing ulcer was observed.