Intermittent Pneumatic Compression of the Thigh

Study Summary

Study Summary A leg ulcer is a long-lasting (chronic) sore that takes more than two weeks to heal. The majority of leg ulcers are caused either by problems with the veins in the legs; these are called 'venous leg ulcers' (VLU), or a combination of both venous and arterial disease which affects the veins and arteries in the leg; these are called 'mixed aetiology ulcers'(MLU). Venous and mixed aetiology leg ulcers are usually treated by applying a simple non-stick dressing to the ulcer with a firm compression bandage applied on top. These bandages are designed to squeeze the legs and encourage blood flow towards the heart. Before this treatment starts, a patient may undergo tests to check the flow of blood in the leg arteries is adequate. This ensures that compression bandaging can be safely applied to assist wound healing without compromising arterial blood flow. Most venous and mixed aetiology leg ulcers heal within three to four months if they're treated by a healthcare professional trained in compression therapy for leg ulcers. However, some ulcers can be more problematic and may persist for many months or even years despite being treated with the gold standard treatment of compression bandages. We therefore need to find more ways of helping these problematic ulcers to heal. Intermittent Pneumatic Compression (or IPC) is another way of compressing legs to try and improve the circulation. IPC consists of a sleeve or garment which is applied to the leg. The sleeve is connected to a pump which gently inflates and then deflates it to squeeze the leg in a massage like manner. The IPCOTT study aims to find out if a new IPC device, known as the WoundExpress can help to heal leg ulcers. The WoundExpress has a sleeve that patients put around the thigh, like the one applied to the arm when people have their blood pressure taken. Users need to be either sitting with their legs raised or lying down when using the device. Pressing the 'start' button on the pump causes the

Primary Outcome

Assess percentage change to wound surface area of the reference ulcer following a 16-week intervention period as assessed by the percentage of change in wound surface. This will be calculated using the measurements from wound photographs and by dividing the change by the baseline area. A percentage below zero will indicate an increase in wound size and a percentage above zero indicates a reduction in wound size at week 16 compared with baseline.

Conditions Studied

Interventions

• OTHER Standard Wound Care Alone
• DEVICE Stand Wound Care plus IPC

Study Locations (5)