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Stockings and the prevention of recurrent venous ulcers
Background:
Cost-effective therapy that heals ulcers rapidly and prevents recurrence would significantly impact patient care and the health system.
Objective:
To evaluate compression stockings for treatment of venous ulcerations and prevention of recurrent ulceration; to analyze patient compliance; and to evaluate cost of compression stocking therapy.
Methods:
Stocking therapy healed venous ulcers in 53 patients. The effect of continued stocking use on ulcer recurrence rate and treatment costs was evaluated.
Results:
Twenty-five patients had good stocking usage; one developed recurrence (4%). Twenty-eight patients had bad or none usage; 22 had at least one recurrence (79%). Bad/none usage was associated with 31 of 32 (97%) recurrent ulcerations; good usage was associated with 52 of 58 (90%) nonrecurrent ulcers. Cost was a major reason for noncompliance.
Conclusions:
Continued stocking use after ulcer healing will prevent most recurrences and will provide a significant cost saving to the nation's health care budget.