Nutrition, tissue oxygenation, and healing of venous leg ulcers

The purpose of the prospective study described in this article was to explore nutrition, tissue oxygenation, and healing in venous ulcer patients. Nutritional risk, anthropometric measures, biochemical indices, two 3-day dietary records, and transcutaneous tissue oxygen levels were obtained. Wound s...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of vascular nursing 1998-09, Vol.16 (3), p.48-56
Main Authors: Wipke-Tevis, Deidre D., Stotts, Nancy A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Bandages
Energy Intake
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Nursing
Nutrition Disorders - complications
Nutrition Disorders - diagnosis
Nutritional Requirements
Nutritional Status
Oxygen Consumption
Prospective Studies
Varicose Ulcer - etiology
Varicose Ulcer - metabolism
Varicose Ulcer - nursing
Varicose Ulcer - physiopathology
Wound Healing - physiology
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The purpose of the prospective study described in this article was to explore nutrition, tissue oxygenation, and healing in venous ulcer patients. Nutritional risk, anthropometric measures, biochemical indices, two 3-day dietary records, and transcutaneous tissue oxygen levels were obtained. Wound surface area was evaluated 2 times, 4 weeks apart. A convenience sample of 25 English-speaking persons with 1 or more venous ulcers participated (mean age 59.8 years, 60% men, 48% white). Moderate or high nutritional risk existed in 84% of the persons in the sample. Based on body mass index, more than 50% of the persons in the samle were obese. Nonetheless, 17 of 25 persons in the sample had 1 or more abnormal biochemical nutritional indices. In addition, caloric intake (17 of 20), protein intake (15 of 20), and zinc intake (17 of 20) were inadequate to meet the needs for healing. No statistically significant relationships were found between biochemical nutritional indices, tissue oxygenation, and healing. The women in the sample were more likely to heal than were the men (P < .05). This study begins to document the problems of overnutrition and undernutrition in the venous ulcer population. Future studies need to explore the effects of obesity and inadequate intake on the healing of venous ulcers. Additional examination of the differences between men and women also is warranted to identify predictors of venous ulcer healing.
ISSN:1062-0303
1532-6578
DOI:10.1016/S1062-0303(98)90001-2