Lower Leg Ulcers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Lower Leg Ulcers - Essay Example Venous ulcers, often referred to as stasis ulcers or varicose ulcers, are wounds occurring on the legs due to improper functioning of venous valves. Referring to a research organized by Weller, Ademi, Makarounas-Kirchmann and Stoelwinder (2012), venous ulcers are the main causes of chronic wounds that constitute 70-90% of leg ulcer cases. The authors indicate that it develops along the medial distal legal mainly and this medical condition can be very painful. Venous ulcer is the major cause of lower extremity ulceration and it is growing to be a potential health issue in Canada. In their article titled ‘Diagnosis and treatment of venous ulcers’, Collins and Seraj (2010) say that endothelial damage, intracellular edema, platelet aggregation, and inflammatory processes resulting in leukocyte activation are the major identified causes of venous ulcers. The authors add that older age people and individuals with obesity, venous thrombosis, previous leg injuries, and phlebitis are greatly prone to the risk of developing of venous ulcer. Collins and Seraj point out that venous ulcers seem to be irregular and shallow in physical examination and they are mainly located over bony prominences.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Studies indicate that the chance of developing venous ulcers in Western population is relatively high and 10-20/1000 adults in the Western world are likely to be diagnosed with venous ulcer at some point in their lifetime. In order to evaluate the status of venous ulcers in Canada, a group of researchers including Graham., Harrison, Shafey, and Keast (2003) organized a study about various issues concerning this medical condition. For this, the researchers collected responses from physicians who were members of the College of Family Physicians of Canada. Among the participants, 107 physicians reported that 226 patients had been diagnosed with leg ulcers but only a few had undergone ultrasound assessment. When 16% of physicians were confident about man aging this complex medical condition, a vast majority (61%) reported that they were not knowledgeable about wound-care products. The researchers noted that over 50% of the participants were unaware of the fact that compression could be an effective treatment for venous ulcers. Referring to the study, the researchers listed a number of issues negatively affecting venous ulcer management. First, physicians often failed to deal with venous ulcer care effectively due to lack of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines. In addition, lack of evidence-based protocols in home care agencies also contributed to inefficient disease management. Finally, poor communication among health care providers and restricted access to wound-care produc