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Table 1 Baseline demographic, health and ulcer characteristics

From: Health service pathways for patients with chronic leg ulcers: identifying effective pathways for facilitation of evidence based wound care

Characteristic

Total*n = 70

Venous n = 32 (46%)

Mixed n = 24 (34%)

Arterial n = 6 (9%)

Diabetic n = 6 (9%)

Demographic

     

Age, mean ± SD†

67 ± 13.9

64 ± 14.3

71 ± 12.2

75 ± 16.4

67 ± 11.82

Gender:

     

female

32 (46%)

18 (55%)

8 (35%)

3 (50%)

3 (50%)

male

38 (54%)

15 (46%)

15 (65%)

3 (50%)

3 (50%)

Lived alone

14 (20%)

6 (18%)

5 (22%)

1 (17%)

2 (33%)

Primary carer

8 (11%)

5 (15%)

3 (13%)

0 (0%)

0 (0%)

Income:

     

age or disability pension

44 (64%)

16 (49%)

18 (82%)

6 (100%)

0 (0%)

unemployment benefit

6 (8%)

3 (9%)

0 (0%)

0 (0%)

0 (0%)

employed/self-funded retiree

19 (28%)

12 (36%)

4 (18%)

0 (0%)

1 (17%)

current smoker

10 (16%)

5 (17%)

4 (19%)

1 (17%)

0 (0%)

Co morbidities/Health

     

Cardiac disease

24 (34%)

5 (15%)

13 (57%)

3 (50%)

2 (33%)

Hypertension

45 (64%)

16 (49%)

18 (78%)

3 (50%)

6 (100%)

Osteoarthritis

30 (43%)

11 (33%)

13 (57%)

2 (33%)

2 (33%)

Rheumatoid disease

8 (11%)

3 (9%)

4 (17%)

0 (0%)

1 (17%)

Other autoimmune disease

7 (10%)

5 (15%)

1 (4%)

1 (17%)

0 (0%)

Diabetes

17 (24%)

2 (6%)

8 (35%)

0 (0%)

6 (100%)

Peripheral arterial disease

16 (23%)

5 (16%)

5 (22%)

4 (67%)

2 (33%)

Past Deep Vein Thrombosis

13 (19%)

9 (27%)

3 (13%)

0 (0%)

1 (17%)

Varicose veins

39 (56%)

21 (64%)

15 (65%)

2 (33%)

1 (17%)

Previous lower limb surgery or trauma

54 (77%)

22 (67%)

21 (91%)

4 (67%)

5 (83%)

History of previous leg ulcers

47 (67%)

24 (73%)

14 (61%)

3 (50%)

5 (83%)

Required an aid to mobilise

15 (21%)

8 (24%)

6 (26%)

0 (0%)

1 (17%)

Ulcer clinical characteristics on admission

     

Ulcer area (median, range)

2.5 cm2 (0.1–45.3)

2.9 cm2 (0.8–45.3)

2.5 cm2 (0.8 –39.4)

2.35 cm2 (0.2–3.8)

1.9 cm2 (0.1–9.8)

Ulcer duration (median, range)

22 weeks (2–728)

24 weeks (2–188)

15 weeks (6–728)

13 weeks (10–130)

21 weeks (3–56)

PUSH score (mean ± SD†)

9.8 ± 2.9

10.6 ± 2.6

9.9 ± 2.6

8.2 ± 2.9

9 ± 3.5

Lower leg oedema present

55 (79%)

28 (85%)

19 (83%)

4 (67%)

3 (50%)

Venous eczema

12 (17%)

5 (15%)

5 (22%)

0 (0%)

2 (33%)

Clinical signs of wound infection

8 (11%)

4 (12%)

2 (9%)

1 (17%)

1 (17%)

  1. *There were two other ulcers which did not fit into the ulcer type categories: one a non-healing wound post-surgery, the other a pressure ulcer on the foot.
  2. †SD = Standard Deviation.