Volume 2, Number 5, October-November 2005

Venous leg ulcers
Mike Kirby & Sandy Wilson

Chronic leg ulcers are a major health problem in the UK, affecting many older people and costing the NHS up to £600 million per year. Chronic leg ulcers are generally managed in primary care: more than 80% of chronic leg ulcers are cared for in the community. Healing rates are currently low and recurrence rates are higher than 67%. However, appropriate use of available treatments can reduce recurrence rates to between 20% and 30%. In this article, we review the causes of venous ulceration, how to spot the problem early and how to optimise leg ulcer healing.

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