title: Prospective, multicenter study of managing lower extremity venous ulcers.
abstract: Seventy patients with 90 venous ulcers were randomly assigned to hydrocolloid or conventional dressing and compression therapy at four study centers. The ulcers had been present for a mean of 47.8 in the control and 46.2 weeks in the treatment group and 42% of all patients had recurrent ulcers. Ulcers treated with hydrocolloid dressings reduced 71% and control treated wounds reduced 43% in area after 7.2 weeks of treatment. Thirty-four percent of all ulcers healed. Mean time to healing was 7 weeks for the hydrocolloid dressing group and 8 weeks for the control group. Most ulcers were less painful at final evaluation, but reduction in pain was more pronounced in hydrocolloid-dressed ulcers (p = 0.03). At baseline as well as during follow-up, significant differences between study centers were observed. Ulcers in patients in the United Kingdom were larger and less likely to heal (p = 0.001). Size of the ulcer at baseline was associated with treatment response and time to healing (p = 0.002). Percent reduction in ulcer area after 2 weeks was also correlated with treatment outcome (p = 0.004) and time to healing (p = 0.002). When all treatment outcome predictors were analyzed together, only percent reduction in area after 2 weeks remained statistically significant (p = 0.002), with percent reduction during the first 2 weeks of treatment > 30% predicting healing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Hahnemann University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pa 19102-1192.
authors.forename: T E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Stanley
authors.forename: E P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Fellows
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Moncada
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Hutchinson
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Swartz
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Bolton
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Vickers
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Kerstein
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001458:Bandages; D003102:Colloids; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012074:Remission Induction; D013997:Time Factors; D014647:Varicose Ulcer / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D014945:Wound Healing; D015034:Zinc Oxide
chemical_list: D003102:Colloids; D015034:Zinc Oxide