TITLE:
Intermittent Pneumatic Compression in Treatment of Chronic Venous Leg Ulcers: A Case Report and Review of Literature
AUTHORS:
Ali Kordzadeh, Attila Jonas, Yiannis P. Panayiotopoulos
KEYWORDS:
Intermittent Pneumatic Compression (IPC), Chronic Venous Leg Ulcers, Bilateral Venous Leg Ulcer Management, Compression Therapy, Obese Patient, Follow-Up
JOURNAL NAME:
Case Reports in Clinical Medicine,
Vol.3 No.9,
September
10,
2014
ABSTRACT: Introduction: The benefit of intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) for the prevention of venous thromboembolism and lymphedema has been well established in the literature. Recent evidence suggests that IPC plays a beneficial role in circulation, hemodynamic peripheral pump, intravascular coagulation and arterial skin perfusion. Despite such evidence, the use of IPC in the treatment of resistant and chronic venous leg ulcers, has received little attention in practice. Case Presentation: We would like to report the case of successfully treated chronic and bilateral venous leg ulcer in an obese patient with IPC application and a review of the literature. Results: The use of IPC as an adjuvant therapy to the traditional multilayered compression therapy permitted significant resolution of the ulcers, reduced secondary infection incidence and prevented ulcer recurrence. Conclusion: In obese, minimally mobile patients with venous ulcers not responding to the traditional multilayered compression therapy application of IPC, an adjuvant therapy is recommended.