title: The K-Four bandage system: evaluating its effectiveness on recalcitrant venous leg ulcers.
abstract: This evaluation examined the effectiveness of the K-Four (Parema) high compression bandage system on 50 patients with recalcitrant 'hard-to-heal' venous leg ulcers and relates the outcome to an earlier randomised study which compared three other four-layer bandage systems. Twelve-week healing rates were 53.2% in the current series, which included patients with poor mobility, large ulcers and long pretreatment ulcer duration, rising to 69.5% at 20 weeks. When account was taken of known risk factors for delayed ulcer healing, no significant difference could be identified between between either K-Four or the earlier evaluated bandages, which included the original Charing Cross system, where the overall healing rates were 64.5% and 80%, respectively, at 12 and 20 weeks. It would seem more likely that treatment outcome is related to patient risk factors for delayed healing and bandaging expertise than to the bandage system employed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Bradford Royal Infirmary, UK.
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Vowden
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vowden
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001458:Bandages / Q000592:standards*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D017592:Skin Care / Q000295:instrumentation; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014647:Varicose Ulcer / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000451:nursing*; D014945:Wound Healing