Compression Stocking With 100% Donning and Doffing Success: An Open Label Randomised Controlled Trial

Area of Science:

• Vascular Medicine
• Medical Devices
• Geriatric Care

Background:

• Chronic venous disease (CVD) affects a significant portion of the elderly population.
• Compression stockings are a cornerstone in managing CVD, but donning and doffing can be challenging.
• Existing compression stockings may present difficulties in application and removal, impacting patient adherence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the ease of donning and doffing an investigational two-layer stocking compared to a standard compression stocking.
• To assess the effectiveness of the investigational stocking in preventing diurnal oedema.
• To compare the comfort levels between the investigational and standard compression stockings.

Main Methods:

• An open-label, randomized controlled trial involving 47 patients (age ≥ 65) with chronic venous disease (C3-C6).
• A crossover design was used to compare donning and doffing success rates for both stocking types.
• Secondary endpoints included oedema prevention and comfort over a 24-hour period.

Main Results:

• The investigational stocking demonstrated significantly higher unaided donning success (100% vs. 75%) and doffing success (100% vs. 66%) compared to the standard stocking (p < .001).
• No significant difference was observed in leg volume reduction (oedema prevention) between the two stocking types.
• Patients reported significantly greater comfort with the investigational stocking (p < .001).

Conclusions:

• The investigational two-layer stocking, with targeted compression, is significantly easier to apply and remove than standard compression stockings.
• This novel stocking design provides comparable oedema prevention to standard stockings.
• The investigational stocking offers superior comfort, potentially improving patient compliance in managing chronic venous disease.