Cost effectiveness of community leg ulcer clinics: randomised controlled trial

Principles of extramural health care for chronic wounds in China

Development of extramural health care for chronic wounds is still in its infancy in China, and thus it is urgent and vital to establish a correct concept and practicable principles. The authors reviewed recent domestic and international literature and summarized the following treatment procedures and principles for extramural health care of chronic wounds. (1) The patient needs to do self-assessment of the wound by using available simple methods; (2) The patient consult with professional physicians or nurses on wound care to define the severity and etiology of the non-healing wound; (3) Professionals evaluate the existing treatment strategies; (4) Etiological treatments are given by professionals; (5) Patients buy needed dressings via the more convenient ways from pharmacies, e-commerce platform or others; (6) Professionals provide a standardized and reasonable therapeutic plan based on the patient's wound conditions; (7) Both professionals and the patient pay attention to complications to prevent adverse outcomes; (8) Professionals strengthen the public education on wound care and integrated rehabilitation. This review expected to provide new perspectives on the therapeutic strategies for chronic wounds in an extramural setting.

A narrative review of the epidemiology and economics of chronic wounds

Chronic wounds have a debilitating effect on the quality of life of many individuals, and the large economic impact on health system budgets warrants greater attention in policy making and condition management than is currently evident. The aim of this narrative review is to summarize the nature and extent of the chronic wound problem that confronts health systems across the world. The first section is used to highlight the underlying epidemiology relating to chronic wounds, while the second explores the economic costs associated with them and the relative efficiency of measures designed to manage them.

Clinical and cost efficacy of advanced wound care matrices in the treatment of venous leg ulcers: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Venous leg ulcers (VLUs) are hard-to-heal, recurrent and challenging to treat. Advanced wound care matrices (AWCMs) have been developed to supplement conventional therapies. These costly AWCMs warrant careful comparison as healthcare expenditures are subjected to increasing scrutiny.

AIM

This study was designed to compare AWCMs in their ability to heal VLUs and their cost efficacy through a systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs).

METHOD

An organised search of Medline, Cochrane Library, Central and CINAHL databases identified RCTs that compared AWCMs to standard compression therapy in the healing of VLUs. Bias was assessed using the Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP) Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies. Eight studies analysing bilayered skin substitute (BSS) (Apligraf), dehydrated human amnion/chorion membrane (dHACM) (Epifix), human fibroblast-derived dermal substitute (HFDDS) (Dermagraft), extracellular wound matrix (ECM) (Oasis), advanced matrix (AM) (Talymed) and matrix wound dressing (MWD) (Promogran) met the inclusion criteria.

RESULTS

Four studies reported significant improvement over standard therapy: BSS, dHACM, ECM and AM. Incremental cost per additional successful treatment was determined for each trial, ranging from $2593 (MWD) to $210,800 (HFDDS).

CONCLUSION

Our consolidated analysis of eight major RCTs of AWCMs in the treatment of VLUs revealed a great variation in clinical and cost efficacy among these products. The included trials were inconsistent in methodology, and these limitations should be noted, but, in the absence of RCTs to compare these products, our systematic review may serve as a guide for practitioners who seek to optimise wound healing while considering cost efficacy.

Compression bandages or stockings versus no compression for treating venous leg ulcers

BACKGROUND

Leg ulcers are open skin wounds on the lower leg that can last weeks, months or even years. Most leg ulcers are the result of venous diseases. First-line treatment options often include the use of compression bandages or stockings.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effects of using compression bandages or stockings, compared with no compression, on the healing of venous leg ulcers in any setting and population.

SEARCH METHODS

In June 2020 we searched the Cochrane Wounds Specialised Register, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Ovid MEDLINE (including In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations), Ovid Embase and EBSCO CINAHL Plus. We also searched clinical trials registries for ongoing and unpublished studies, and scanned reference lists of relevant included studies as well as reviews, meta-analyses and health technology reports to identify additional studies. There were no restrictions by language, date of publication or study setting.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included randomised controlled trials that compared any types of compression bandages or stockings with no compression in participants with venous leg ulcers in any setting.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

At least two review authors independently assessed studies using predetermined inclusion criteria. We carried out data extraction, and risk-of-bias assessment using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. We assessed the certainty of the evidence according to GRADE methodology.

MAIN RESULTS

We included 14 studies (1391 participants) in the review. Most studies were small (median study sample size: 51 participants). Participants were recruited from acute-care settings, outpatient settings and community settings, and a large proportion (65.9%; 917/1391) of participants had a confirmed history or clinical evidence of chronic venous disease, a confirmed cause of chronic venous insufficiency, or an ankle pressure/brachial pressure ratio of greater than 0.8 or 0.9. The average age of participants ranged from 58.0 to 76.5 years (median: 70.1 years). The average duration of their leg ulcers ranged from 9.0 weeks to 31.6 months (median: 22.0 months), and a large proportion of participants (64.8%; 901/1391) had ulcers with an area between 5 and 20 cm². Studies had a median follow-up of 12 weeks. Compression bandages or stockings applied included short-stretch bandage, four-layer compression bandage, and Unna's boot (a type of inelastic gauze bandage impregnated with zinc oxide), and comparator groups used included 'usual care', pharmacological treatment, a variety of dressings, and a variety of treatments where some participants received compression (but it was not the norm). Of the 14 included studies, 10 (71.4%) presented findings which we consider to be at high overall risk of bias. Primary outcomes There is moderate-certainty evidence (downgraded once for risk of bias) (1) that there is probably a shorter time to complete healing of venous leg ulcers in people wearing compression bandages or stockings compared with those not wearing compression (pooled hazard ratio for time-to-complete healing 2.17, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.52 to 3.10; I² = 59%; 5 studies, 733 participants); and (2) that people treated using compression bandages or stockings are more likely to experience complete ulcer healing within 12 months compared with people with no compression (10 studies, 1215 participants): risk ratio for complete healing 1.77, 95% CI 1.41 to 2.21; I² = 65% (8 studies with analysable data, 1120 participants); synthesis without meta-analysis suggests more completely-healed ulcers in compression bandages or stockings than in no compression (2 studies without analysable data, 95 participants). It is uncertain whether there is any difference in rates of adverse events between using compression bandages or stockings and no compression (very low-certainty evidence; 3 studies, 585 participants). Secondary outcomes Moderate-certainty evidence suggests that people using compression bandages or stockings probably have a lower mean pain score than those not using compression (four studies with 859 participants and another study with 69 ulcers): pooled mean difference -1.39, 95% CI -1.79 to -0.98; I² = 65% (two studies with 426 participants and another study with 69 ulcers having analysable data); synthesis without meta-analysis suggests a reduction in leg ulcer pain in compression bandages or stockings, compared with no compression (two studies without analysable data, 433 participants). Compression bandages or stockings versus no compression may improve disease-specific quality of life, but not all aspects of general health status during the follow-up of 12 weeks to 12 months (four studies with 859 participants; low-certainty evidence). It is uncertain if the use of compression bandages or stockings is more cost-effective than not using them (three studies with 486 participants; very low-certainty evidence).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

If using compression bandages or stockings, people with venous leg ulcers probably experience complete wound healing more quickly, and more people have wounds completely healed. The use of compression bandages or stockings probably reduces pain and may improve disease-specific quality of life. There is uncertainty about adverse effects, and cost effectiveness. Future research should focus on comparing alternative bandages and stockings with the primary endpoint of time to complete wound healing alongside adverse events including pain score, and health-related quality of life, and should incorporate cost-effectiveness analysis where possible. Future studies should adhere to international standards of trial conduct and reporting.

Pain in persons with chronic venous leg ulcers: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Pain is a serious problem for patients with leg ulcers. Research mainly focuses on dressing‐related pain; however, chronic background pain may be just as devastating. Our main objective was to describe the prevalence and characteristics of wound‐related background pain in persons with chronic venous leg ulcers. We performed a systematic review to synthesise data from quantitative studies. Studies were eligible if they reported original baseline‐ or cross‐sectional data on background pain in chronic venous leg ulcers. The initial search identified 2454 publications. We included 36 descriptive and effect studies. The pooled prevalence of wound‐related background pain (from 10 studies) was 80% (95% CI 65‐92%). The mean pain intensity score (from 27 studies) was 4 (0‐10 numeric rating scale) (95% CI 3.4‐4.5). Other pain characteristics could not be synthesised. We identified few sufficiently high‐quality studies on prevalence and intensity of wound‐related background pain in patients with chronic venous leg ulcers. Four of five persons experience mild to moderate pain. Because of poor quality of pain assessment and report, we believe that the available research does not provide a sufficiently nuanced understanding of background pain in this patient group.

Sample size estimation for randomised controlled trials with repeated assessment of patient-reported outcomes: what correlation between baseline and follow-up outcomes should we assume?

Background

Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are now frequently used in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) as primary endpoints. RCTs are longitudinal, and many have a baseline (PRE) assessment of the outcome and one or more post-randomisation assessments of outcome (POST). With such pre-test post-test RCT designs there are several ways of estimating the sample size and analysing the outcome data: analysis of post-randomisation treatment means (POST); analysis of mean changes from pre- to post-randomisation (CHANGE); analysis of covariance (ANCOVA).

Sample size estimation using the CHANGE and ANCOVA methods requires specification of the correlation between the baseline and follow-up measurements. Other parameters in the sample size estimation method being unchanged, an assumed correlation of 0.70 (between baseline and follow-up outcomes) means that we can halve the required sample size at the study design stage if we used an ANCOVA method compared to a comparison of POST treatment means method. So what correlation (between baseline and follow-up outcomes) should be assumed and used in the sample size calculation? The aim of this paper is to estimate the correlations between baseline and follow-up PROMs in RCTs.

Methods

The Pearson correlation coefficients between the baseline and repeated PROM assessments from 20 RCTs (with 7173 participants at baseline) were calculated and summarised.

Results

The 20 reviewed RCTs had sample sizes, at baseline, ranging from 49 to 2659 participants. The time points for the post-randomisation follow-up assessments ranged from 7 days to 24 months; 464 correlations, between baseline and follow-up, were estimated; the mean correlation was 0.50 (median 0.51; standard deviation 0.15; range − 0.13 to 0.91).

Conclusions

There is a general consistency in the correlations between the repeated PROMs, with the majority being in the range of 0.4 to –0.6. The implications are that we can reduce the sample size in an RCT by 25% if we use an ANCOVA model, with a correlation of 0.50, for the design and analysis. There is a decline in correlation amongst more distant pairs of time points.

New Approach in Ulcer Prevention and Wound Healing Treatment using Doxycycline and Amoxicillin/LDH Nanocomposites

Doxycycline (DOX) and amoxicillin (AMOX) are important Broad-spectrum antibiotics used in treating multiple human and animal diseases. For the sake of exploring novel medical applications, both antibiotics were loaded into magnesium aluminium layer double hydroxide (Mg-Al)/LDH nanocomposite through the co-precipitation method. The synthesized materials were characterized by XRD, FT-IR, particle size analysis, FESEM and HRTEM. Acute toxicological studies were conducted using median lethal dose LD50, where a total number of 98 rats (200-150 gm) of both sexes were used. An experimental wound was aseptically incised on the anterior-dorsal side of each rat, while 98% of pure medical ethanol was used for ulcer induction. Acute toxicity, wound closure rate, healing percentages, ulcer index, protective rate and histopathological studies were investigated. Antibiotic Nanocomposites has significantly prevented ulcer formation and improved wound healing process to take shorter time than that of the typical processes, when compared with that of same drugs in microscale systems or commercial standard drugs. These results were confirmed by the histopathological findings. By converting it into the Nanoform, which is extremely important, especially with commonly used antibiotics, novel pharmacological properties were acquired from the antibiotics. The safe uses of DOX/LDH and AMOX/LDH Nanocomposites in this study were approved for biomedical applications.

Appropriate statistical methods for analysing partially nested randomised controlled trials with continuous outcomes: a simulation study

Background

In individually randomised trials we might expect interventions delivered in groups or by care providers to result in clustering of outcomes for participants treated in the same group or by the same care provider. In partially nested randomised controlled trials (pnRCTs) this clustering only occurs in one trial arm, commonly the intervention arm. It is important to measure and account for between-cluster variability in trial design and analysis. We compare analysis approaches for pnRCTs with continuous outcomes, investigating the impact on statistical inference of cluster sizes, coding of the non-clustered arm, intracluster correlation coefficient (ICCs), and differential variance between intervention and control arm, and provide recommendations for analysis.

Methods

We performed a simulation study assessing the performance of six analysis approaches for a two-arm pnRCT with a continuous outcome. These include: linear regression model; fully clustered mixed-effects model with singleton clusters in control arm; fully clustered mixed-effects model with one large cluster in control arm; fully clustered mixed-effects model with pseudo clusters in control arm; partially nested homoscedastic mixed effects model, and partially nested heteroscedastic mixed effects model. We varied the cluster size, number of clusters, ICC, and individual variance between the two trial arms.

Results

All models provided unbiased intervention effect estimates. In the partially nested mixed-effects models, methods for classifying the non-clustered control arm had negligible impact. Failure to account for even small ICCs resulted in inflated Type I error rates and over-coverage of confidence intervals. Fully clustered mixed effects models provided poor control of the Type I error rates and biased ICC estimates. The heteroscedastic partially nested mixed-effects model maintained relatively good control of Type I error rates, unbiased ICC estimation, and did not noticeably reduce power even with homoscedastic individual variances across arms.

Conclusions

In general, we recommend the use of a heteroscedastic partially nested mixed-effects model, which models the clustering in only one arm, for continuous outcomes similar to those generated under the scenarios of our simulations study. However, with few clusters (3–6), small cluster sizes (5–10), and small ICC (≤0.05) this model underestimates Type I error rates and there is no optimal model.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12874-018-0559-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Management of Patients With Venous Leg Ulcers: Challenges and Current Best Practice

Introduction It is well documented that the prevalence of venous leg ulcers (VLUs) is increasing, coinciding with an ageing population. Accurate global prevalence of VLUs is difficult to estimate due to the range of methodologies used in studies and accuracy of reporting. (1) Venous ulceration is the most common type of leg ulceration and a significant clinical problem, affecting approximately 1% of the population and 3% of people over 80 years of age (2) in westernised countries. Moreover, the global prevalence of VLUs is predicted to escalate dramatically, as people are living longer, often with multiple comorbidities. Recent figures on the prevalence of VLUs are based on a small number of studies, conducted in Western countries, and the evidence is weak. However, it is estimated that 93% of VLUs will heal in 12 months, and 7% remain unhealed after five years. (3) Furthermore, the recurrence rate within 3 months after wound closure is as high as 70%. (4) (-6) Thus, cost-effective adjunct evidence-based treatment strategies and services are needed to help prevent these ulcers, facilitate healing when they occur and prevent recurrence. The impact of a VLU represents social, personal, financial and psychological costs on the individual and further economic drain on the health-care system. This brings the challenge of providing a standardised leg ulcer service which delivers evidence-based treatment for the patient and their ulcer. It is recognised there are variations in practice and barriers preventing the implementation of best practice. There are patients not receiving appropriate and timely treatment in the initial development of VLUs, effective management of their VLU and preventing recurrence once the VLU has healed. Health-care professionals (HCPs) and organisations must have confidence in the development process of clinical practice guidelines and have ownership of these guidelines to ensure those of the highest quality guide their practice. These systematic judgments can assist in policy development, and decision making, improve communication, reduce errors and improve patient outcomes. There is an abundance of studies and guidelines that are available and regularly updated, however, there is still variation in the quality of the services offered to patients with a VLU. There are also variations in the evidence and some recommendations contradict each other, which can cause confusion and be a barrier to implementation. (7) The difference in health-care organisational structures, management support and the responsibility of VLU management can vary in different countries, often causing confusion and a barrier to seeking treatment. These factors further complicate the guideline implementation process, which is generally known to be a challenge with many diseases. (8).

Recommendations for the analysis of individually randomised controlled trials with clustering in one arm - a case of continuous outcomes

Background

In an individually randomised controlled trial where the treatment is delivered by a health professional it seems likely that the effectiveness of the treatment, independent of any treatment effect, could depend on the skill, training or even enthusiasm of the health professional delivering it. This may then lead to a potential clustering of the outcomes for patients treated by the same health professional, but similar clustering may not occur in the control arm. Using four case studies, we aim to provide practical guidance and recommendations for the analysis of trials with some element of clustering in one arm.

Methods

Five approaches to the analysis of outcomes from an individually randomised controlled trial with clustering in one arm are identified in the literature. Some of these methods are applied to four case studies of completed randomised controlled trials with clustering in one arm with sample sizes ranging from 56 to 539. Results are obtained using the statistical packages R and Stata and summarised using a forest plot.

Results

The intra-cluster correlation coefficient (ICC) for each of the case studies was small (<0.05) indicating little dependence on the outcomes related to cluster allocations. All models fitted produced similar results, including the simplest approach of ignoring clustering for the case studies considered.

Conclusions

A partially clustered approach, modelling the clustering in just one arm, most accurately represents the trial design and provides valid results. Modelling homogeneous variances between the clustered and unclustered arm is adequate in scenarios similar to the case studies considered. We recommend treating each participant in the unclustered arm as a single cluster. This approach is simple to implement in R and Stata and is recommended for the analysis of trials with clustering in one arm only. However, the case studies considered had small ICC values, limiting the generalisability of these results.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12874-016-0249-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Comparison of Costs and Healing Rates of Two Forms of Compression in Treating Venous Ulcers

The objective of this study was to compare healing rates and costs of treating venous ulcers with traditional Unna boots (UB) or a CircAid Thera-Boot (TB). A multicenter, prospective, randomized parallel-group study was performed in three university medical center vascular surgery clinics and three private medical offices. Patients presented with unilateral venous leg ulcers 5 cm or less in diameter. Patients with severe arterial, metabolic, or neuropathic diseases, and those who would not be expected to heal with conservative treatment, were excluded. Conservative treatment of the leg ulcer consisted of a nonadherent topical dressing and compression with either a traditional Unna's boot or a Thera-Boot. The main outcome measures were the following: time to healing, rate of area decrease, rate of percent area decrease, linear healing rate, costs of labor, materials, and overhead. Of 38 enrolled patients seven were withdrawn (five UB, two TB). Three patients were still in treatment when the study was stopped. Eleven UB patients and 17 TB patients completed the study. Healing rates were for UB and TB patients (mean (Meeting ± sd) were, respectively: time to healing (weeks) 9.69 ± 3.28, 7.98 ± 4.41 (p = 0.41), area healing rate (cm2/day) 0.0239 ± 0.0534, 0.0433 ± 0.0910 (p = 0.27),% area healing rate (%/day) 1.0493 ± 1.5583, 2.0357 ± 1.9520 (p = 0.56), and linear healing rate (cm/day), 0.0060 ± 0.0092, 0.0109 ± 0.0125 (p = 0.27). Costs for UB and TB (dollars to completion) were, respectively: clinician labor 331.37 ± 255.75, 201.91 ± 131.17 (p = 0.09), materials 160.86 ± 96.86, 122.79 ±27.59 (p= 0.14), overhead (number of visits) 11.70 ± 6.40, 6.71 ±3.77 (p = 0.02), and total costs 901.73 ± 576.45, 559.41 ±290.75 (p= 0.05).

Treatment of venous ulcers with Circ Aid Thera-Boots is significantly less costly than treatment with traditional Unna's boots. Trends toward faster healing were noted.

Cost-Effectiveness: Seeking Value for Money in Lower Extremity Wound Management

This article discusses the different methods of evaluating cost in relation to the outcomes of treatment, and reviews the evidence of cost-effectiveness (CE) in the management of chronic leg ulceration. In essence, the CE argument revolves around the need to demonstrate outcomes of treatment in relation to particular levels of financial input by the health providers. High CE allows for either the same number of patients to be treatedmore efficiently (at a lower cost) ormore patients to be treated for the same financial input. Areview ofmedical and nursing databases (Medline, Embase, and Cinahl) identified studies of CE of dressing materials (n = 8), use of compression therapy (n = 4), and other treatments (n = 2). In addition, 5 research groups have undertaken studies to evaluate the relative CE of different systems of care. Overall conclusionsare that modern wound dressings provide a more costeffective alternative to saline gauze, whereas the evidence relating to the use of tissue-engineered skin is less clear. The use of compression bandaging is substantially more costeffective when compared with a system of care where compression is not systematically offered. The systems that offer compression are not only cost-effective but also lead to reductions in absolute cost. The evaluation of CE is likely to become an ever-increasing part of wound care evaluation as we strive to achieve greater efficiency in the use of scarce health resources.

Effect of a National Community Intervention Programme on Healing Rates of Chronic Leg Ulcer: Randomised Controlled Trial

Background and Objective:

Chronic leg ulcer is a common cause of serious disability in the elderly. Healing rates of chronic leg ulcers of 50–75% at 3–6 months have been reported from clinical trials in which specialist nurses delivered the care. But most patients in the population are managed by community nurses in the home, where the results are largely unknown. The aims of this trial were to audit healing rates and to evaluate the effect of a national community-based intervention programme of nurse training.

Design:

Fifteen Community Healthcare Trusts and one Healthcare Division in 10 Health Board Areas in Scotland comprising a population of 2.65 million took part in a cluster randomised controlled trial in which geographically and administratively distinct localities averaging 53 000 population were randomised, at the time of dissemination of Scottish Intercollegiate (SIGN) guidelines, to a programme of nurse training (intervention) or no training (control). Data were provided by 649 district nurse Case Load Managers (CLMs) via 10 3-monthly censuses (6 months baseline, 21 months post-randomisation). SIGN guidelines were disseminated nationally and in the intervention areas an intensive training course in leg ulcer care and teaching methods was provided for 51 link nurses who cascaded training to community nurses, supported by regional workshops run by the project team. Training was evaluated at each stage.

Findings:

A total of 4984 ulcerated legs in 3949 patients were registered: 991 (25%) males and 2958 (75%) females, mean age 77 years. Response rates from CLMs were 99.4% at the first census and 100% for all subsequent censuses. Outcome data were obtained for 98.9% of all ulcerated legs entered into the study. Care was provided by 1700 community nurses, each of whom saw an average of 1.5 leg ulcer patients annually. There were 489 deaths and 65 amputations with identical rates between the two groups. The 3-month healing rate was 28% in the intervention and control groups at baseline and did not change in either during the following 2 years. The more chronic the ulcer the lower the healing rate.

Interpretation:

The 3-month healing rate of less than 30% throughout more than 2 years of study, together with the lack of any evidence of improvement following an intensive guideline-based community intervention programme, indicate that a radical reappraisal is required of how care for patients with chronic leg ulcer should be delivered.

Quality of Life in Venous Ulceration: A Randomized Trial of Two Bandage Systems

Objective:

To evaluate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a prospective randomised trial of patients suffering from venous ulceration, comparing the original four-layer bandage system with a new four-layer system (Profore).

Design:

Randomised prospective parallel groups trial.

Setting:

Community leg ulcer clinics within two trusts in England.

Participants:

Patients newly presenting for treatment suffering from chronic leg ulceration, with ankle–brachial pressure index (ABPI) >0.8.

Methods:

Patients entering the trial were asked to complete the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) at entry and after 12 and 24 weeks of treatment. Principal analysis was the comparison of final NHP scores analysed by ANOVA with baseline scores entered as a covariate.

Results:

In all, 231 of 232 patients who entered the trial completed the initial questionnaire, with 208 patients completing at least one follow-up questionnaire. Improvements were noted for all scores after 24 weeks, which were significantly greater in the 167 patients whose ulcers had healed compared with the 41 whose ulcers remained unhealed for the domains of Sleep (mean difference [ d] = 10.5, 95% CI 2.9 to 18.1, p = 0.007) and Bodily Pain ( d = 8.9, 95% CI 1.3 to 16.5, p = 0.023), with a large difference for Physical Mobility ( d = 5.0) which failed to achieve statistical significance (95% CI −0.5 to 10.6, p = 0.07) following adjustment for the baseline scores. There were similar mean scores between the 99 patients treated with the original bandage system and 109 treated with Profore for all domains of the NHP, the largest adjusted difference favouring Profore for Energy ( d = 3.7, 95% CI −3.8 to 11.2, p = 034).

Conclusions:

Patients suffering from leg ulceration show improvements in perceived health following effective ulcer management. The two bandage systems achieved similar improvements in perceived health over 24 weeks.

Leg Ulcers: Economic Aspects

Objective:

To review what is known about the cost of leg ulcers, and venous leg ulcers in particular.

Method:

Searches of the Medline and Cochrane Library databases. Reviewing reference lists of personally gathered articles in the field of chronic leg ulcers.

Synthesis:

Most publications dealing with the economics of leg ulcers are cost studies assessing the cost of different dressings or bandages, and only a few have given estimates of the total costs of leg ulcer management. The latter, in conjunction with accurate epidemio-logical data, are essential to estimate the nationwide costs of leg ulcer management. The costs consist of direct and indirect costs for society. Direct costs are mainly staff costs for managing dressing-changes. Based on the few estimates made, approximately 1% of the total health care costs in the western world are likely to be used for management of chronic leg ulcers. To reduce the costs of leg ulcer management a reduction in the frequency of dressing-change is recommended. Improved use of high technology, such as duplex Doppler diagnostics and varicose vein surgery, is also likely to be cost-effective. On the basis of two health economic analyses leg ulcer clinics alone do not appear to reduce the costs of leg ulcer management, mainly because of an inability to prevent recurrent ulceration.

Conclusion:

The cost implications of chronic leg ulcers are insufficiently studied but there is no doubt that managing patients with leg ulcers takes a substantial proportion of the health care budget. More health economic analyses are needed to define the best treatment in order to reduce total costs.

A large Italian observational multicentre study on vascular ulcers of the lower limbs (Studio Ulcere Vascolari)

An observational study of 2 years was promoted by the Italian Association for Cutaneous Ulcers (AIUC) in order to monitor the epidemiology of leg ulcers, the trend of healing and the more frequent therapeutic approaches in lower limb ulcers. Fifty-nine sites in 14 different Italian regions involved in the study, with 1333 enrolled patients (1163 patients fully evaluated and followed up for 9 months). A prevalence of females (62%) was observed with a mean age of 70 years and a high rate of hypertension (62%), diabetes (38%) and obesity (29%). Venous ulcer was most frequent (55%), followed by mixed (25%) and diabetic (8·3%) ulcers. Basically, all patients received a local therapy (LT) (compression and advanced local therapies), while 63% of patients have an associated systemic pharmaceutical treatment. Ulcer healing rates progressively increased throughout the study and despite the type of observational study does not allow conclusions on the treatment, it was observed that the patients receiving additional systemic drugs were associated with a more rapid acceleration of healing rates of ulcers compared to LT alone (3 months: 39·7% versus 29·2%; 6 months: 62·0% versus 47·0%; 9 months: 74·7% versus 63·8%). In particular, the Studio Ulcere Vascolari (SUV) study showed that a combination treatment with sulodexide and compression therapy allows for a greater increase in the healing rates in venous ulcers.

Demonstrating a Conceptual Framework to Provide Efficient Wound Management Service for a Wound Care Center in a Tertiary Hospital

Although the benefits of wound care services and multidisciplinary team care have been well elaborated on in the literature, there is a gap in the actual practice of wound care and the establishment of an efficient referral system. The conceptual framework for establishing efficient wound management services requires elucidation.A wound care center was established in a tertiary hospital in 2010, staffed by an integrated multidisciplinary team including plastic surgeons, a full-time coordinator, a physical therapist, occupational therapists, and other physician specialists. Referral patients were efficiently managed following a conceptual framework for wound care. This efficient wound management service consists of 3 steps: patient entry and onsite immediate wound debridement, wound re-evaluation, and individual wound bed preparation plan. Wound conditions were documented annually over 4 consecutive years.From January 2011 to December 2014, 1103 patients were recruited from outpatient clinics or inpatient consultations for the 3-step wound management service. Of these, 62% of patients achieved healing or improvement in wounds, 13% of patients experienced no change, and 25% of patients failed to follow-up. The outcome of wound treatment varied by wound type. Sixty-nine percent of diabetic foot ulcer patients were significantly healed or improved. In contrast, pressure ulcers were the most poorly healed wound type, with only 55% of patients achieving significantly healed or improved wounds.The 3-step wound management service in the wound care center efficiently provided onsite screening, timely debridement, and multidisciplinary team care. Patients could schedule appointments instead of waiting indefinitely for care. Further wound condition follow-up, education, and prevention were also continually provided.

Cost analysis of one of the first outpatient wound clinics in the Netherlands

OBJECTIVE

To perform, from an insurance perspective, a cost analysis of one of the outpatient community wound care clinics in the Netherlands, the Knowledge Centre in Wound Care (KCWC) at Venray.

METHOD

This study involved a cost analysis based on an observational cohort study with a one-year pre-admission and a one-year post-admission comparison of costs. Patients were included when they first consulted the outpatient wound care clinic. Participants were all insured by the same health insurance company, Coöperatie Volksgezondheidszorg (VGZ). A standard six-step procedure for performing cost studies was used to calculate the costs. Given the skewed cost data, non-parametric bootstrapping was used to test for statistical differences.

RESULTS

There were 172 patients included in this study. The difference in costs related to wound care between the year before and the year after initial admission to the wound clinic amounted to an average reduction of €2621 (£1873) per patient in the base case analysis. The categories 'general practitioner', 'hospital care', 'mental health care' and 'transport' scored lower, indicating lower costs, in the year after admission to the wound clinic.

CONCLUSION

In this study, only the reimbursement data of patients of one health insurance company, and specifically only those made under the 2006 Dutch Health Insurance Act, were available. Because of the observational design, definitive conclusions cannot be made regarding a demonstrated reduction of costs in the year post admission. Nevertheless, this study is a first attempt of a cost analysis of an equipped outpatient wound clinic as an innovative way of responding to the increasing number of chronic wounds in the Netherlands. The calculations show that savings in wound care are possible.

DECLARATION OF INTEREST

A possible conflict of interest should be mentioned. First author AALM Rondas, PhD student at Maastricht University, is working at the KCWC wound clinic at Venray in the Netherlands as a physician. However, the research data were provided externally by Coöperatie Volksgezondheidszorg (VGZ) and checked by the academic co-authors, none of whom have a conflict of interest. The authors have no financial or commercial interest to declare.

Cost consequences due to reduced ulcer healing times - analyses based on the Swedish Registry of Ulcer Treatment

Resource use and costs for topical treatment of hard-to-heal ulcers based on data from the Swedish Registry of Ulcer Treatment (RUT) were analysed in patients recorded in RUT as having healed between 2009 and 2012, in order to estimate potential cost savings from reductions in frequency of dressing changes and healing times. RUT is used to capture areas of improvement in ulcer care and to enable structured wound management by registering patients with hard-to-heal leg, foot and pressure ulcers. Patients included in the registry are treated in primary care, community care, private care, and inpatient hospital care. Cost calculations were based on resource use data on healing time and frequency of dressing changes in Swedish patients with hard-to-heal ulcers who healed between 2009 and 2012. Per-patient treatment costs decreased from SEK38 223 in 2009 to SEK20 496 in 2012, mainly because of shorter healing times. Frequency of dressing changes was essentially the same during these years, varying from 1·4 to 1·6 per week. The total healing time was reduced by 38%. Treatment costs for the management of hard-to-heal ulcers can be reduced with well-developed treatment strategies resulting in shortened healing times as shown in RUT.

VenUS IV (Venous leg Ulcer Study IV) - compression hosiery compared with compression bandaging in the treatment of venous leg ulcers: a randomised controlled trial, mixed-treatment comparison and decision-analytic model

BACKGROUND

Compression is an effective and recommended treatment for venous leg ulcers. Although the four-layer bandage (4LB) is regarded as the gold standard compression system, it is recognised that the amount of compression delivered might be compromised by poor application technique. Also the bulky nature of the bandages might reduce ankle or leg mobility and make the wearing of shoes difficult. Two-layer compression hosiery systems are now available for the treatment of venous leg ulcers. Two-layer hosiery (HH) may be advantageous, as it has reduced bulk, which might enhance ankle or leg mobility and patient adherence. Some patients can also remove and reapply two-layer hosiery, which may encourage self-management and could reduce costs. However, little robust evidence exists about the effectiveness of two-layer hosiery for ulcer healing and no previous trials have compared two-layer hosiery delivering 'high' compression with the 4LB.

OBJECTIVES

Part I To compare the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of HH and 4LB in terms of time to complete healing of venous leg ulcers. Part II To synthesise the relative effectiveness evidence (for ulcer healing) of high-compression treatments for venous leg ulcers using a mixed-treatment comparison (MTC). Part III To construct a decision-analytic model to assess the cost-effectiveness of high-compression treatments for venous leg ulcers.

DESIGN

Part I A multicentred, pragmatic, two-arm, parallel, open randomised controlled trial (RCT) with an economic evaluation. Part II MTC using all relevant RCT data - including Venous leg Ulcer Study IV (VenUS IV). Part III A decision-analytic Markov model.

SETTINGS

Part I Community nurse teams or services, general practitioner practices, leg ulcer clinics, tissue viability clinics or services and wound clinics within England and Northern Ireland.

PARTICIPANTS

Part I Patients aged ≥ 18 years with a venous leg ulcer, who were willing and able to tolerate high compression.

INTERVENTIONS

Part I Participants in the intervention group received HH. The control group received the 4LB, which was applied according to standard practice. Both treatments are designed to deliver 40 mmHg of compression at the ankle. Part II and III All relevant high-compression treatments including HH, the 4LB and the two-layer bandage (2LB).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Part I The primary outcome measure was time to healing of the reference ulcer (blinded assessment). Part II Time to ulcer healing. Part III Quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and costs.

RESULTS

Part I A total of 457 participants were recruited. There was no evidence of a difference in time to healing of the reference ulcer between groups in an adjusted analysis [hazard ratio (HR) 0.99, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.79 to 1.25; p = 0.96]. Time to ulcer recurrence was significantly shorter in the 4LB group (HR = 0.56, 95% CI 0.33 to 0.94; p = 0.026). In terms of cost-effectiveness, using QALYs as the measure of benefit, HH had a > 95% probability of being the most cost-effective treatment based on the within-trial analysis. Part II The MTC suggests that the 2LB has the highest probability of ulcer healing compared with other high-compression treatments. However, this evidence is categorised as low to very low quality. Part III Results suggested that the 2LB had the highest probability of being the most cost-effective high-compression treatment for venous leg ulcers.

CONCLUSIONS

Trial data from VenUS IV found no evidence of a difference in venous ulcer healing between HH and the 4LB. HH may reduce ulcer recurrence rates compared with the 4LB and be a cost-effective treatment. When all available high-compression treatments were considered, the 2LB had the highest probability of being clinically effective and cost-effective. However, the underpinning evidence was sparse and more research is needed. Further research should thus focus on establishing, in a high-quality trial, the effectiveness of this compression system in particular.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN49373072.

FUNDING

This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 18, No. 57. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

Clinical evaluation of the efficacy and safety of a medical device in various forms containing Triticum vulgare for the treatment of venous leg ulcers - a randomized pilot study

This study was carried out to assess the efficacy and tolerability of the topical application of an aqueous extract of Triticum vulgare (TV) in different vehicles (cream, impregnated gauzes, foam, hydrogel, and dressing gel) for the treatment of venous lower leg ulcers. Fifty patients were randomized to receive one of the five investigational vehicles. Treatment was performed up to complete healing or to a maximum of 29 days. The wound size reduction from baseline was the primary efficacy variable, which was measured by means of a noninvasive laser scanner instrument for wound assessment. In all groups, apart from the foam group, a similar trend toward the reduction of the surface area was observed. The cream showed the greatest effect on the mean reduction of the lesion size. At last visit, six ulcers were healed: two in the cream group, three in the gauze group, and one in the dressing gel group. In the patients treated with the cream, the gauzes, the hydrogel, and the dressing gel, the reduction of lesion size was 40%–50%; the reduction was smaller in the foam group. No impact in terms of age on the healing process was found. The Total Symptoms Score decreased in all groups during the study; a greater efficacy in terms of signs/symptoms was observed in the patients treated with the gauzes. In the dressing gel group, one patient had an infection of the wound after 3 weeks of treatment and 2 of colonization, leading to a systemic antibiotic treatment. The events were judged as nonrelated to the device used. On the basis of the results, it could be argued that the medical device may be useful in the treatment of chronic venous ulcers.

A systematic review of cost-effectiveness analyses of complex wound interventions reveals optimal treatments for specific wound types

BACKGROUND

Complex wounds present a substantial economic burden on healthcare systems, costing billions of dollars annually in North America alone. The prevalence of complex wounds is a significant patient and societal healthcare concern and cost-effective wound care management remains unclear. This article summarizes the cost-effectiveness of interventions for complex wound care through a systematic review of the evidence base.

METHODS

We searched multiple databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library) for cost-effectiveness studies that examined adults treated for complex wounds. Two reviewers independently screened the literature, abstracted data from full-text articles, and assessed methodological quality using the Drummond 10-item methodological quality tool. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were reported, or, if not reported, calculated and converted to United States Dollars for the year 2013.

RESULTS

Overall, 59 cost-effectiveness analyses were included; 71% (42 out of 59) of the included studies scored 8 or more points on the Drummond 10-item checklist tool. Based on these, 22 interventions were found to be more effective and less costly (i.e., dominant) compared to the study comparators: 9 for diabetic ulcers, 8 for venous ulcers, 3 for pressure ulcers, 1 for mixed venous and venous/arterial ulcers, and 1 for mixed complex wound types.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results can be used by decision-makers in maximizing the deployment of clinically effective and resource efficient wound care interventions. Our analysis also highlights specific treatments that are not cost-effective, thereby indicating areas of resource savings. Please see related article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12916-015-0288-5.

The Role of Preference on Outcomes of People Receiving Evidence-Informed Community Wound Care in Their Home or in a Nurse-Clinic Setting: A Cohort Study (n = 230)

This study followed a cohort of community-dwelling individuals receiving wound-care in a large urban-rural region. During a randomized control trial (RCT) evaluating outcomes of receiving care in a nurse-clinic or at home, many approached were willing to participate if they could choose their location of care. This provided a unique opportunity to enroll them as a "choice" cohort, following them in the same manner as the trial participants but allowing them to select their setting of care. The objective was to investigate the role of preference and location of care on care outcomes, including satisfaction with care, healing, health-related quality of life (HRQL), pain, and resource use. This is a secondary analysis of a prospective cohort of 126 individuals enrolled in an RCT to receive care at home or in a nurse-clinic (Allocated group), and an additional 104 who received care at home or in a nurse-clinic based on their preference (Choice group). Mobile individuals with a leg ulcer of venous or mixed venous etiology, referred for community leg ulcer care, were eligible. Specially-trained nurses provided care to both groups using an evidence-informed protocol. Baseline data included socio-demographic, circumstance-of-living and a detailed wound assessment. Mean age of the cohort was 68 years. Satisfaction, healing, recurrence, pain, HRQL, and resource utilization did not differ between groups. If available, individuals should have an option of care venue given almost half of those approached indicated a clear preference for clinic or home. With outcomes being similar, health care planners and decision-makers, as well as individuals and their families, can feel confident that the setting of care will not impact the outcomes. However, larger studies in other contexts are needed to explore the interaction between choice and setting.

Economic evaluations of guideline-based or strategic interventions for the prevention or treatment of chronic wounds

BACKGROUND

Costs of chronic wound care are significant, but systematic reviews of cost-effectiveness studies regarding guideline-based or strategic interventions are scarce.

OBJECTIVES

Our objectives were to assess/compare the cost effectiveness of new interventions/systems designed to improve the prevention/treatment of chronic wounds in adult populations against current care and provide decision makers with information on which to base future interventions for chronic wound management.

DATA SOURCES

Data sources included PubMed, Scopus, HTA, and NHS EED.

STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, PARTICIPANTS, AND INTERVENTIONS

We included comparative health economic evaluations of interventions published in English designed to prevent or treat adult chronic wounds that were guideline-based or strategic in nature and from which an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio or incremental net health benefit was reported or could be calculated.

STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS METHODS

Study and model characteristics and outcomes were extracted into pre-designed tables. Quality assessment of studies was based on literature-reported methods. Studies were assigned strength of evidence ratings and recommendation level for decision makers.

RESULTS

A total of 16 health economic evaluations were included, of which ten were trial based and six were wholly model based. Only three studies had high, and five studies moderate, strength of evidence and were recommended for decision makers. All studies had some shortcomings regarding time horizon, costs, effectiveness units, and methodological reporting. Two studies had major flaws.

LIMITATIONS

Limitations include missed studies published in non-English languages or not cited in searched databases; judgment bias in assessing studies.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS OF KEY FINDINGS

Few well conducted cost-effectiveness studies exist to guide decision makers regarding guideline-based or strategic interventions for chronic wounds.

Venous disease and chronic oedema: treatment and patient concordance

Compression therapy is the mainstay in the management of chronic venous disease, venous leg ulceration (VLU) and chronic oedema. The management of VLU alone is thought to cost a staggering £400 million per year and accounts for 13% of all district nursing visits. The predicted increase in elderly, obese and chronically ill patients will pose a further strain on already stretched resources. The impact of chronic venous and lymphovenous disease is also costly in terms of physical and psychological terms for patients. Adopting a preventive approach would reduce the financial, workload and symptomatic aspects of this condition.

Venous ulcer care: which dressings are cost effective?

Healed or open venous ulcers may be present in up to 1% of Western populations and consume a large amount of healthcare resources. These ulcers are characterized by a chronic inflammatory environment with impaired healing and often require months for closure. The average monthly cost of care for an open ulcer has been estimated to be $4095. The fundamental tenets of ulcer care include adequate compression and maintaining a moist wound environment with an appropriate primary dressing. A number of specialized products including semi-occlusive/occlusive, antimicrobial, and advanced wound matrix dressings are now available. However, there is little data from appropriate clinical studies to suggest significantly improved outcomes with any of these dressings. Data regarding their cost-effectiveness is also limited, often conflicting, and subject to bias. At present, there is little solid evidence to guide the choice of primary dressings and a patient-centered approach focusing on characteristics of both the patient and their ulcer, while paying attention to costs, may be most appropriate.

The statistical interpretation of pilot trials: should significance thresholds be reconsidered?

BACKGROUND

In an evaluation of a new health technology, a pilot trial may be undertaken prior to a trial that makes a definitive assessment of benefit. The objective of pilot studies is to provide sufficient evidence that a larger definitive trial can be undertaken and, at times, to provide a preliminary assessment of benefit.

METHODS

We describe significance thresholds, confidence intervals and surrogate markers in the context of pilot studies and how Bayesian methods can be used in pilot trials. We use a worked example to illustrate the issues raised.

RESULTS

We show how significance levels other than the traditional 5% should be considered to provide preliminary evidence for efficacy and how estimation and confidence intervals should be the focus to provide an estimated range of possible treatment effects. We also illustrate how Bayesian methods could also assist in the early assessment of a health technology.

CONCLUSIONS

We recommend that in pilot trials the focus should be on descriptive statistics and estimation, using confidence intervals, rather than formal hypothesis testing and that confidence intervals other than 95% confidence intervals, such as 85% or 75%, be used for the estimation. The confidence interval should then be interpreted with regards to the minimum clinically important difference. We also recommend that Bayesian methods be used to assist in the interpretation of pilot trials. Surrogate endpoints can also be used in pilot trials but they must reliably predict the overall effect on the clinical outcome.

Factors that influence perforator thrombosis and predict healing with perforator sclerotherapy for venous ulceration without axial reflux

OBJECTIVE

Refluxing perforators contribute to venous ulceration. We sought to describe patient characteristics and procedural factors that (1) impact rates of incompetent perforator vein (IPV) thrombosis with ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy (UGS) and (2) impact the healing of venous ulcers (CEAP 6) without axial reflux.

METHODS

A retrospective review of UGS of IPV injections from January 2010 to November 2012 identified 73 treated venous ulcers in 62 patients. Patients had no other superficial or axial reflux and were treated with standard wound care and compression. Ultrasound imaging was used to screen for refluxing perforators near ulcer(s). These were injected with sodium tetradecyl sulfate or polidocanol foam and assessed for thrombosis at 2 weeks. Demographic data, comorbidities, treatment details, and outcomes were analyzed. Univariate and multivariable modeling was performed to determine covariates predicting IPV thrombosis and ulcer healing.

RESULTS

There were 62 patients (55% male; average age, 57.1 years) with active ulcers for an average of 28 months with compression therapy before perforator treatment, and 36% had a history of deep venous thrombosis and 30% had deep venous reflux. At a mean follow-up of 30.2 months, ulcers healed in 32 patients (52%) and did not heal in 30 patients (48%). Ulcers were treated with 189 injections, with an average thrombosis rate of 54%. Of 73 ulcers, 43 ulcers (59%) healed, and 30 (41%) did not heal. The IPV thrombosis rate was 69% in patients whose ulcers healed vs 38% in patients whose ulcers did not heal (P < .001). Multivariate models demonstrated male gender (P = .03) and warfarin use (P = .01) negatively predicted thrombosis of IPVs. A multivariate model for ulcer healing found complete IPV thrombosis was a positive predictor (P = .02), whereas a large initial ulcer area was a negative predictor (P = .08). Increased age was associated with fewer ulcer recurrences (P = .05). Predictors of increased ulcer recurrences were hypertension (P = .04) and increased follow-up time (P = .02). Calf vein thrombosis occurred after 3% (six of 189) of injections.

CONCLUSIONS

Thrombosis of IPVs with UGS increases venous ulcer healing in a difficult patient population. Complete closure of all IPVs in an ulcerated limb was the only predictor of ulcer healing. Men and patients taking warfarin have decreased rates of IPV thrombosis with UGS.

The Lindsay Leg Club: supporting the NHS to provide leg ulcer care

Public health services will need to cope with additional demands due to an ageing society and the increasing prevalence of chronic conditions. Lower-limb ulceration is a long-term, life-changing condition and leg ulcer management can be challenging for nursing staff. The Lindsay Leg Club model is a unique partnership between community nurses, members and the local community, which provides quality of care and empowerment for patients with leg ulcers, while also supporting and educating nursing staff. The Leg Club model works in accord with core themes of Government and NHS policy. Patient feedback on the Leg Club model is positive and the Leg Clubs provide a service to members which is well accepted by patients, yet is more economically efficient than the traditional district nursing practice of home visits. Lindsay Leg Clubs provide a valuable support service to the NHS in delivering improved quality of care while improving efficiency.

Ulcer healing time and antibiotic treatment before and after the introduction of the Registry of Ulcer Treatment: an improvement project in a national quality registry in Sweden

OBJECTIVES

To investigate changes in ulcer healing time and antibiotic treatment in Sweden following the introduction of the Registry of Ulcer Treatment (RUT), a national quality registry, in 2009.

DESIGN

A statistical analysis of RUT data concerning the healing time and antibiotic treatment for patients with hard-to-heal ulcers in Sweden between 2009 and 2012.

SETTING

RUT is a national web-based quality registry used to capture areas of improvement in ulcer care and to structure wound management by registering patients with hard-to-heal leg, foot and pressure ulcers. Registration includes variables such as gender, age, diagnosis, healing time, antibiotic treatment, and ulcer duration and size.

POPULATION

Every patient with a hard-to-heal ulcer registered with RUT between 2009 and 2012 (n=1417) was included.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Statistical analyses were performed using Stata V.12.1. Healing time was assessed with the Kaplan-Meier analysis and adjustment was made for ulcer size. A log-rank test was used for equality of survivor functions.

RESULTS

According to the adjusted registry in December 2012, patients' median age was 80 years (mean 77.5 years, range 11-103 years). The median healing time for all ulcers, adjusted for ulcer size, was 146 days (21 weeks) in 2009 and 63 days (9 weeks) in 2012 (p=0.001). Considering all years between 2009 and 2012, antibiotic treatment for patients with hard-to-heal ulcers was reduced from 71% before registration to 29% after registration of ulcer healing (p=0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Healing time and antibiotic treatment decreased significantly during 3 years after launch of RUT.

Traffic light system for healed venous leg ulcer monitoring

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the conceptualisation and evolution of a trialed Doppler traffic light system for healed venous leg ulceration. This tool aims to facilitate clinical decision-making and provides a systematic approach to the ongoing assessment of arterial disease in patients with healed venous leg ulcers when used in conjunction with other purposely-designed assessment documentation to ensure the novice registered and unregistered nurse contributes safely and effectively to the care of patients. The validation and trial of this clinical decision tool is discussed in terms of the use of a recognised methodology determining its fitness for purpose and robustness.

Wireless electrical stimulation: an innovative powerful tool for the treatment of a complicated chronic ulcer

High-voltage electrical stimulation has been long proposed as a method of accelerating the wound healing process. Its beneficial effect has been successfully evaluated in the treatment of a number of chronic ulcers and burns. We present here the implementation of a new wireless electrical stimulation technique for the treatment of a complicated chronic ulcer of the lower limb. The device is transferring charges to the wound, without any contact with it, creating a microcurrent that is able to generate the current of injury. The results suggest that this easy-to-use method is an effective therapeutic option for chronic ulcers.

Compression for venous leg ulcers

BACKGROUND

Up to one percent of people in industrialised countries will suffer from a leg ulcer at some time. The majority of these leg ulcers are due to problems in the veins, resulting in an accumulation of blood in the legs. Leg ulcers arising from venous problems are called venous (or varicose or stasis) ulcers. The main treatment is the application of a firm compression garment (bandage or stocking) in order to aid venous return. There is a large number of compression garments available and it was unclear whether they are effective in treating venous ulcers and, if so, which method of compression is the most effective.

OBJECTIVES

To undertake a systematic review of all randomised controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the effects on venous ulcer healing of compression bandages and stockings.Specific questions addressed by the review are:1. Does the application of compression bandages or stockings aid venous ulcer healing? 2. Which compression bandage or stocking system is the most effective?

SEARCH METHODS

For this second update we searched: the Cochrane Wounds Group Specialised Register (31 May 2012); the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library Issue 5, 2012); Ovid MEDLINE (1950 to May Week 4 2012); Ovid MEDLINE (In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations 30 May 2012); Ovid EMBASE (1980 to 2012 Week 21); and EBSCO CINAHL (1982 to 30 May 2012). No date or language restrictions were applied.

SELECTION CRITERIA

RCTs recruiting people with venous leg ulceration that evaluated any type of compression bandage system or compression stockings were eligible for inclusion. Eligible comparators included no compression (e.g. primary dressing alone, non-compressive bandage) or an alternative type of compression. RCTs had to report an objective measure of ulcer healing in order to be included (primary outcome for the review). SECONDARY OUTCOMES of the review included ulcer recurrence, costs, quality of life, pain, adverse events and withdrawals. There was no restriction on date, language or publication status of RCTs.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Details of eligible studies were extracted and summarised using a data extraction table. Data extraction was performed by one review author and verified independently by a second review author.

MAIN RESULTS

Forty-eight RCTs reporting 59 comparisons were included (4321 participants in total). Most RCTs were small, and most were at unclear or high risk of bias. Duration of follow-up varied across RCTs. Risk ratio (RR) and other estimates are shown below where RCTs were pooled; otherwise findings refer to a single RCT.There was evidence from eight RCTs (unpooled) that healing outcomes (including time to healing) are better when patients receive compression compared with no compression.Single-component compression bandage systems are less effective than multi-component compression for complete healing at six months (one large RCT).A two-component system containing an elastic bandage healed more ulcers at one year than one without an elastic component (one small RCT).Three-component systems containing an elastic component healed more ulcers than those without elastic at three to four months (two RCTs pooled), RR 1.83 (95% CI 1.26 to 2.67), but another RCT showed no difference between groups at six months.An individual patient data meta-analysis of five RCTs suggested significantly faster healing with the four-layer bandage (4LB) than the short stretch bandage (SSB): median days to healing estimated at 90 and 99 respectively; hazard ratio 1.31 (95% CI 1.09 to 1.58).High-compression stockings are associated with better healing outcomes than SSB at two to four months: RR 1.62 (95% CI 1.26 to 2.10), estimate from four pooled RCTs.One RCT suggested better healing outcomes at 16 months with the addition of a tubular device plus single elastic bandage to a base system of gauze and crepe bandages when compared with two added elastic bandages. Another RCT had three arms; when one or two elastic bandages were added to a base three-component system that included an outer tubular layer, healing outcomes were better at six months for the two groups receiving elastic bandages.There is currently no evidence of a statistically significant difference for the following comparisons:⋅alternative single-component compression bandages (two RCTs, unpooled);⋅two-component bandages compared with the 4LB at three months (three RCTs pooled);⋅alternative versions of the 4LB for complete healing at times up to and including six months (three RCTs, unpooled);⋅4LB compared with paste bandage for complete healing at three months (two RCTs, pooled), six months or one year (one RCT for each time point);⋅adjustable compression boots compared with paste bandages for the outcome of change in ulcer area at three months (one small RCT);⋅adjustable compression boots compared with the 4LB with respect to complete healing at three months (one small RCT);⋅single-layer compression stocking compared with paste bandages for outcome of complete healing at four months (one small RCT) and 18 months (another small RCT);⋅low compression stocking compared with SSB for complete healing at three and six months (one small RCT);⋅compression stockings compared with a two-component bandage system and the 4LB for the outcome of complete healing at three months (one small, three-armed RCT); and,⋅tubular compression compared with SSB (one small RCT) for complete healing at three months.

SECONDARY OUTCOMES

4LB was more cost-effective than SSB. It was not possible to draw firm conclusions regarding other secondary outcomes including recurrence, adverse events and health-related quality of life.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Compression increases ulcer healing rates compared with no compression. Multi-component systems are more effective than single-component systems. Multi-component systems containing an elastic bandage appear to be more effective than those composed mainly of inelastic constituents. Two-component bandage systems appear to perform as well as the 4LB. Patients receiving the 4LB heal faster than those allocated the SSB. More patients heal on high-compression stocking systems than with the SSB. Further data are required before the difference between high-compression stockings and the 4LB can be established.

The impact of providing product funding for compression bandaging and medical footwear on compression use, wound healing and quality of life

A study conducted in an Australian home nursing service sought to ascertain whether the provision of funding for compression bandaging and medical footwear would impact on compression therapy use, wound healing and quality of life (QoL) among people with venous leg ulcers. Clients (n = 120) were randomly allocated to evaluation funded or not evaluation funded groups, the former provided funding for compression bandaging and medical footwear. Outcome measures included the number of wounds healed, healing rate, compression use and QoL. Analysis included ttests and Kaplan-Meier Survival Analysis. An alpha level of 0·05 classified findings as significant. There were no significant differences between groups for rate or time to healing, wounds healed or compression use. The evaluation funded group were significantly more likely to receive medical footwear. Those with confirmed diagnosis and who received multilayer bandaging, irrespective of group, achieved healing rates significantly higher than those who wore other compression therapy. Factors other than cost intervened with the capacity to evaluate the impact of wound product subsidisation. Further exploration of how to best promote evidence-based practice and future research to evaluate clinically and cost-effective wound treatments in a range of health care settings is required.

Randomized controlled trial comparing treatment outcome of two compression bandaging systems and standard care without compression in patients with venous leg ulcers

BACKGROUND

Compression therapy is not common for venous leg ulcer patients in Hong Kong.

METHODS

This randomized controlled trial compared the clinical effectiveness of compression bandaging using four-layer bandaging (4LB) or short-stretch bandaging (SSB) and usual care (moist wound healing dressing without compression). The 24-week study looked at venous leg ulcer patients aged >60 years in a community setting. The primary parameter was time to ulcer healing. Secondary parameters were ulcer area and pain reduction comparing week 0 (start) vs week 24 (end), measuring results per group and between groups. Intention-to-treat analysis involved descriptive statistics, survival analysis, and repeated measures analysis of variance. The log-rank test was used for univariable analysis. All withdrawn patients had a negative outcome score over the whole study duration.

RESULTS

Of 321 patients who received randomized treatment, 45 (14%) did not complete the 24-week study period. At 24 weeks, Kaplan-Meier analysis on healing time was statistically significant (P < .001) in favor of the compression groups. The mean (SD) healing time in the SSB group (9.9 [0.77]) was shorter than that of the 4LB group (10.4 [0.80]) and the usual care group (18.3 [0.86]). Pain reduction was significant (P < .001) for the compression-treated groups only.

CONCLUSIONS

Compression bandaging was more effective than usual care without compression. Both compression systems were safe and feasible for venous ulcer patients in a community setting in Hong Kong.

Comprehensive review of the clinical application of autologous mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of chronic wounds and diabetic bone healing

Chronic ulcerations are a physical and financial burden to the health and economic establishment in the United States and Worldwide. Improvements in biotechnology and knowledge in stem cell applications have progressed and basic science results are making their way slowly into the clinical arena. Chronic wounds and diabetic bone healing are the key components in the limb salvage of the common diabetic foot. We have examined the current available literature and present the latest on stem cells applications as a novel clinical technique in the treatment of chronic wound and diabetic bone healing and their impact in the treatment paradigm of patients.

Venous leg ulcers and the impact of compression bandaging

Venous leg ulcers are a major health issue in terms of financial burden to the NHS, nurses' input, and physical, psychological and social impact to the patient. The best practice management of leg ulcers is the application of high compression, which is a complex task and requires substantial skill and knowledge. Healing and recurrence rates are poor in some cases and this adds to the physical and psychosocial impact, as well as the financial burden. Many of the sequelae of ulceration hinder patients' ability to tolerate treatment. Nurses must acknowledge the difficulties patients face and become skilled in holistic assessment, care planning and the delivery of patient-focused best practice.

Feasibility study of polyurethane shape-memory polymer actuators for pressure bandage application

The feasibility of laboratory-synthesized polyurethane-based shape-memory polymer (SMPU) actuators has been investigated for possible application in medical pressure bandages where gradient pressure is required between the ankle and the knee for treatment of leg ulcers. In this study, using heat as the stimulant, SMPU strip actuators have been subjected to gradual and cyclic stresses; their recovery force, reproducibility and reusability have been monitored with respect to changes in temperature and circumference of a model leg, and the stress relaxation at various temperatures has been investigated. The findings suggest that SMPU actuators can be used for the development of the next generation of pressure bandages.

Venous ulcer review

CLINICAL QUESTION

What is the best treatment for venous ulcers?

RESULTS

Compression aids ulcer healing. Pentoxifylline can aid ulcer healing. Artificial skin grafts are more effective than other skin grafts in helping ulcer healing. Correction of underlying venous incompetence reduces ulcer recurrence.

IMPLEMENTATION

POTENTIAL PITFALLS TO AVOID ARE: Failure to exclude underlying arterial disease before application of compression.Unusual-looking ulcers or those slow to heal should be biopsied to exclude malignant transformation.

Experience with vacuum-assisted closure device in the management of benign chronic leg ulcers

BACKGROUND

Chronic leg ulcers are commonly encountered in clinical practice. They often last several months to years, with a negative social and economic impact on the patient. Rapidly effective modalities of treatment are therefore to be desired. Vacuum-Assisted-Closure (VAC) device in the management of benign chronic ulcers has been reported in the literature; however, there are limited reports on its use in the West African sub-region.

AIM

To assess the efficacy of VAC therapy in the management of chronic leg ulcers in our patients.

PATIENTS AND METHOD

Case records of patients with chronic leg ulcers presenting at the plastic surgery unit of Imo State University Teaching Hospital, who were managed using the Vacuum Assisted Closure (VAC) device were reviewed. The period of study was from July 2008 to June 2010 (24 months). Data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

RESULTS

Forty one patients with 52 leg ulcers were managed in the period under review. M:F = 3:1 Their ages ranged from 13 to 82 years with a mean age of 43years. Sickle cell ulcers and Post traumatic ulcers were commoner in the young adults, while the vascular ulcers were commoner in the middle aged and elderly. Patients with sickle cell and vascular ulcers were more likely to have multiple ulcers. The sickle cell and venous ulcers had the longest duration but most rapid response to VAC therapy. The arterial ulcers showed poor response. Skin grafting after VAC therapy was excellent in all patients.

CONCLUSION

VAC is a useful adjunct in the management of benign chronic leg ulcers. It is exceptionally effective in venous, sickle cell and post traumatic ulcers, which are quite common in this environment.

Therapist effects in randomised controlled trials: what to do about them

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study is to describe and compare three statistical methods to allow for therapist effects in individually randomised controlled trials.

BACKGROUND

In an individually randomised controlled trial where the intervention is delivered by a health professional it seems likely that the effectiveness of the intervention, independent of any treatment effect, could depend on the skill of the health professional delivering it. This leads to a potential clustering of the outcomes for the patients being treated by the same health professional.

DESIGN

Retrospective statistical analysis of outcomes from four example randomised controlled trial datasets with potential clustering by health professional.

METHODS

Three methods to allow for clustering are described: cluster level analysis; random effects models and marginal models. These models were fitted to continuous outcome data from four example randomised controlled trial datasets with potential clustering by health professional.

RESULTS

The cluster level models produced the widest confidence intervals. Little difference was found between the estimates of the regression coefficients for the treatment effect and confidence intervals between the individual patient level models for the datasets. The conclusions reached for each dataset match those published in the original papers. The intracluster correlation coefficient ranged from <0.001-0.04 for the outcomes, which shows only minor levels of clustering within the datasets.

CONCLUSIONS

The models, which use individual level data are to be preferred. Treatment coefficients from these models have different interpretations. The choice of model should depend on the scientific question being asked.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

We recommend that researchers should be aware of any potential clustering, by health professional, in their randomised controlled trial and use appropriate methods to account for this clustering in the statistical analysis of the data.

Estimulação elétrica de alta voltagem como alternativa para o tratamento de úlceras crônicas de membros inferiores

A estimulação elétrica de alta voltagem tem sido indicada para acelerar processos de cicatrização. Os efeitos da estimulação elétrica de alta voltagem, no tratamento de três voluntários com úlceras crônicas de membros inferiores, foram avaliados. Após quinze semanas de tratamento, pôde ser observada a redução da área de todas as úlceras, a qual sugere que a EEAV é um método eficaz no tratamento de úlceras crônicas.

Randomized controlled trial and cost-effectiveness analysis of silver-donating antimicrobial dressings for venous leg ulcers (VULCAN trial)

BACKGROUND

Antimicrobial silver dressings are used beneath graduated compression in the treatment of venous ulceration. There is little information on whether their use is effective. This was a prospective randomized trial and cost-effectiveness analysis of silver-donating versus non-silver low-adherence dressings in the treatment of venous leg ulcers.

METHODS

Patients were randomized between the two types of dressing. The primary outcome measure was complete ulcer healing at 12 weeks. Secondary outcomes included time to healing, quality of life and cost-effectiveness.

RESULTS

A total of 213 patients were recruited. There was no difference between the dressings in the proportion of ulcers healed at 12 weeks (59.6 per cent for silver and 56.7 per cent for control dressings). Mean utility scores for the EuroQol 5D and Short Form 6D were similar in both groups at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months. Compared with the control group the antimicrobial group had an incremental cost of pounds sterling 97.85 and an incremental quality-adjusted life year gain of 0.0002, giving an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of pounds sterling 489 250 for the antimicrobial dressings.

CONCLUSION

No significant differences were found in either primary or secondary endpoints. There was no evidence to support the routine use of silver-donating dressings beneath compression for venous ulceration.

REGISTRATION NUMBER

ISRCTN 72485131 (http://www.controlled-trials.com).