Leg Ulcer Management Flashcards
Compression therapy is the mainstay of venous ulcer treatment.
T
Bacterial colonisation of chronic wounds always adversely affects healing.
F
Moist wound healing is better than dry wound healing.
T
Venous insufficiency is the most common cause of leg ulcers.
T
Up to 50% of patients with chronic venous insufficiency have a history of leg injury.
T
Venous ulcers that are not complicated by infection typically have minimal exudate.
F Exude copious exudates – yellowish fibrinopurulent, irregularly-shaped adherent exudates may be seen at the base of the ulcer
Risk factors for arterial ulcers include diabetes, smoking, hyperlipidaemia, hypertension, obesity and age.
T
Venous ulcers will often be associated with hair loss, atrophy, cold surrounding skin, and thickened toenails.
F Arterial ulcers.
Capillary refill time in the setting of venous ulcers is usually prolonged.
F Arterial ulcers,
Immobility is necessary for pressure ulcer development
T
Impaired nutritional states along with low albumin and immobility can lead to epidermal moisture and vapour loss which leads to breakdown of the stratum corneum barrier
T
Arterial ulcers are usually located over pressure points, such as the toes and ankles, and are sharply demarcated with little granulation tissue and a punched-out appearance.
T
Arterial ulcers often have a necrotic-appearing wound base.
T
Arterial ulcers demonstrate the 6 P’s – pulseless, pain, pallor, poikilothermia, punched-out defect, pressure point location
T
The most characteristic lesion of the diabetic foot is a mal perforans ulceration.
T
Neuropathic ulcers most characteristically develop over the pressure points of the 2nd and 3rd metatarsal heads, and the great toes.
F 1st and 5th metatarsal heads, and great toes.
Venous ulcer pain is often described as a burning pain
T
Pain is more common with venous disease.
F Arterial disease.
Claudication and rest pain are characteristic of arterial ulcers
T
An ankle-brachial index (ABI) of 1.5 or higher is normal.
F 1.0 – 1.3
ABI of 0.4 or less may indicate severe arterial disease.
T
Neuropathic ulcers are typically a punched-out defect with a thick surrounding callus.
T
Probing of sinuses and deep ulcers is not a sensitive method for detecting bone infection.
F Is highly sensitive.
Care must be taken in using compression in patients with chronic heart failure – compression of the lower extremities can lead to an increase in preload volume and exacerbate their condition.
T
