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Leg ulcer - venous - Management
What should I do if the ulcer does not heal?
- Refer to secondary care a person with a non-healing venous leg ulcer (if there are no signs of improvement after 2–3 months of standard care) to exclude other causes of ulceration and complications.
- Review the person's compliance with compression therapy and lifestyle strategies and determine whether they have ongoing risk factors for venous leg ulceration.
- After assessment by a specialist and the exclusion of alternative causes of ulceration, aim to optimize the person's quality of life (as healing of the ulcer may not be an achievable outcome despite optimal management) by controlling symptoms, encouraging mobility, and providing long-term psychological support (if needed).
Clarification / Additional information
- Some people may benefit from seeing a specialist, as venous surgery or other medical treatment options may be considered.
Basis for recommendation
- These recommendations are based on clinical guidelines: The nursing management of patients with venous leg ulcers published by the Royal College of Nursing [RCN, 2006], together with informed expert opinion, and current good clinical practice [Grey et al, 2006a].
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