[Pain and the conditions of ulcers in patients with critical ischemia of the lower limbs. Gruppo i.c.a.i. (Ischemia Critica Art Inferiori)-Nursing].
Aim of the study was to describe the characteristics, the strategies and the degree of control of pain and lower limb ulcers in a sample of 959 patients with c.l.i. (chronic limb ischaemia) admitted to 38 medical and surgical italian vascular wards and recruited into a multicenter controlled trial. Data presented in this article refer to the patient situation before the hospital admission. Data on the ulcer and the nursing history on ulcers medication, pain experienced and pain control were collected at hospital admission. Mean patients age is 71.4 years; men are 69.5% of the sample. 505 patients (54.4%) experience very severe pain (from 71 to 100 on a visual analogue scale) and 173 (34.3% of these patients) are not given any pain relief. Women experience more pain than men although a larger number of women are prescribed analgesics. Leg ulcers affect 647 patients (67.8%) and 47% show a necrosis, eschar or gangrene. 263 patients (46.8%) are judged to have a clinical leg ulcer infection. There is a larger use of antiseptics vs cleansing solutions (39.5 vs 12.3), and some patients use not recommended treatments: topic antibiotics (10%), antiseptic tinctures (12.5%) and alcohol soaks (4.6%), that are used irrespective of the ulcers' conditions. Major areas of improvement in the care of c.l.i. patients are related to pain control and ulcers management.
D000368:Aged; D000698:Analgesia / Q000592:standards; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007871:Leg Ulcer / Q000150:complications* / Q000451:nursing*; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*