Prevalence of lower limb ulceration in an urban health district

Before establishing a community leg ulcer programme, a survey was performed to assess the incidence and prevalence of lower limb ulceration in the Newcastle Health District. The prevalence was 1.9 per 1000 in patients over the age of 45 years, and the annual incidence 3.5 per 1000 in the same age group. Recurrent ulcers represented 47 per cent of the total and 50 per cent of all ulcers had been present for > 6 months. District nurses spent 190 h per week in the community dressing leg ulcers, making a total number of 25,922 visits each year. In the treatment of leg ulcers 35 different types of dressing were used and only 14 per cent of ulcerated limbs were treated by appropriate compression. Of all patients with leg ulcers, 35 per cent had been seen by a hospital specialist but only 7 per cent had been examined by a vascular surgeon at any time.