Abstract

GOMES, Filipe; CORTE, Agostinha; MONTEIRO, Ana  and  LOUREIRO, Helena. The experience of venous ulcer recurrence prevention measures: A qualitative study. NTQR [online]. 2022, vol.13, e653.  Epub Sep 08, 2022. ISSN 2184-7770.  https://doi.org/10.36367/ntqr.13.2022.e653.

Venous leg ulcers are the most common form of ulceration in the lower limbs, representing up to 85% of all leg ulcers, with a high economic impact and quality of life Introduction: Recurrence of venous ulcers reaches 70% at 12 months after healing, which is associated with low adherence to prevention measures, strongly influenced by a poor understanding of the etiology of the lesion and the importance of these prevention measures; Goals: To understand the experience of people with venous ulcers in adhering to measures to prevent their recurrence. Methods Qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive phenomenological study, carried out in a non-probabilistic sample selected by convenience from a population of users of a Group of Health Centers of the Regional Health Administration of Central Portugal. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 14 participants, proceeding to content analysis using the WebQda® software. Results Through the aggregation of the findings in categories and subcategories, two themes emerged related to Knowledge about the origin of the wound and about How I prevent the reappearance of my wound, corresponding to the main interventions for the prevention of recurrence of venous ulcers. Conclusions. Knowledge about the origin of the lesion is crucial for understanding the recurrence of venous ulcers, namely about its prevention measures. Prevention measures include compression stockings, venous return exercises, lifting the limbs at rest and cleaning and moisturizing the skin, which are associated with the experience of different benefits and difficulties/limitations.

Keywords : Venous ulcer; Recurrence; Prevention; Life experience; Qualitative study..

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