Premium
Initial healing rates as predictive factors of venous ulcer healing: The use of a laser‐based three‐dimensional ulcer measurement
Author(s) -
Kecelj Leskovec Nada,
Perme Maja Pohar,
Jezeršek Matija,
Mozina Janez,
Pavlović Miloš D.,
Lunder Tomaž
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
wound repair and regeneration
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.847
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1524-475X
pISSN - 1067-1927
DOI - 10.1111/j.1524-475x.2008.00397.x
Subject(s) - medicine , wound healing , surgery , prospective cohort study
There is a need for practical methods to predict the healing time of venous leg ulcers. In a prospective cohort study of 81 patients with venous leg ulcers, we used a recently described laser‐based three‐dimensional measurement of the ulcers at days 0 and 28 to estimate the predictive power of horizontal (HIHR) and vertical initial healing rates (VIHR) for wound healing by week 24. The rates were calculated by Gilman's equation [( A 1 − A 2 )/(( p 1 + p 2 )/2) (0–4) ] and by its modification [( V 1 − V 2 )/(( A 1 + A 2 )/2) (0–4) ], respectively. The influence of risk factors on both the initial healing rates was also studied. The HIHR and VIHR are important predictors of healing at 24 weeks. They are not influenced by age, ulcer duration, initial ulcer area, and insufficient sapheno‐femoral junction, and/or calf perforating veins. Together with ulcer duration, they are independent predictors of the 24‐week healing (the area under ROC curve equals to 0.9). VIHR gives us additional information and significantly improves the prediction of 24‐week healing.