Venous leg ulcers are best treated at home

doi:10.1136/bmj.328.7452.0-d

BMJ 2004;328 (5 June), doi:10.1136/bmj.328.7452.0-d

Venous leg ulcers are best treated at home

Most patients with venous leg ulcer can be managed in the community.Early identification of risk factors, along with a tailoredapproach with compression bandaging, leg elevation, improvedmobility and nutrition, and close supervision by a specialistnurse, are important, say Simon and colleagues (p 1358). Upto 85% of ulcers are associated with venous hypertension, butsurgery on the superficial veins is clearly indicated only forpatients with superficial venous incompetence, and antibioticshave little effect on ulcer healing. The authors say that thefocus should move from treatment to prevention.