A point prevalence audit of inpatients with leg ulcers eligible for compression therapy in a large university NHS hospital

Abstract

Objective: Compression therapy is the mainstay of treatment for venous leg ulceration. Several studies have evaluated leg ulcer management and compression in the community. However, little is known about the leg ulcer population and use of compression therapy in the hospital setting, where it is not often part of inpatient care. This study aimed to evaluate the proportion of inpatients with leg ulceration eligible for compression therapy. Method: A point prevalence audit was undertaken using three methods: patient electronic live report; a leg ulcer audit form; and an electronic record search. The following data were retrieved: patient age, sex, primary reason for admission, diabetes, mobility status, history of dementia, Clinical Frailty Scale score and presence of oedema. Ankle-brachial pressure index was measured to determine patients' eligibility for compression therapy. Results: The audit identified 80/931 (8.5%) inpatients as having confirmed, active leg ulceration. A total of 36/80 (45%) inpatients were assessed for eligibility for compression, of whom 25/36 (69.4%) were eligible for full compression, 2/36 (5.6%) reduced compression and 9/36 (25%) were not eligible for compression therapy. Conclusion: The audit demonstrated that a significant proportion of hospital inpatients with leg ulcers were eligible for compression therapy and that this patient population were heterogenous in terms of comorbidity profile, mobility, frailty and dementia, among other factors. Further research is required to explore the most feasible and effective compression options for inpatients with leg ulcers.