Effectiveness of short-stretch bandages in the treatment of ulcers of mixed ethiology: Analysis of a clinical case.

Abstract

Venous ulcers account for 69% of leg ulcers in Spain. The prevalence of peripheral arterial disease in Spain in the general population varies between 4.5-8.5% depending on the series; of which 3.83-24.5% is silent and 6-29.3% may present as intermittent claudication. Compression therapy is essential to accelerate the healing of lesions. However, it is crucial to consider the possible presence of concomitant peripheral arterial disease, which can condition treatment and slow down healing. We present the case of a patient who was referred to the outpatient vascular surgery clinic at a hospital in Murcia from a primary care center due to slow-healing ulcers located in the distal third of both lower limbs. The patient did not report pain at rest, but she did have intermittent claudication. The lesions were exudative and very painful to the touch. The use of compression therapy with short-stretch bandages, applied as an adjunctive treatment in the local treatment of difficult-to-heal wounds of mixed vascular etiology, can be of great help as it allows control of lower limb edema without affecting arterial circulation.