Abstract

Background: Intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) has been sucessfullyused in the treatment of venous ulcers, although the optimal setting of preassure, inflation and deflationtimes has not yet been established. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of two differentcombinations of IPC pump settings (rapid vs slow) in the healing of venous ulcers. Material/Methods:104 patients with pure venous ulcers were randomized to receive either rapid IPC or slow IPC for onehour daily. The primary and secondary end points were the complete healing of the reference ulcer andthe change in the area of the ulcer over the six months observational period, respectively. Results:Complete healing of the reference ulcer occurred in 45 of the 52 patients treated with rapid IPC, andin 32 of the 52 patients treated with slow IPC. Life table analysis showed that the proportion of ulcershealed at six months was 86% in the group treated with the fast IPC regimen, compared with 61% in thegroup treated with slow IPC (p=0.003, log-rank test). The mean rate of healing per day in the rapid IPCgroup was found to be significantly faster compared to the slow IPC group (0.09 cm(2) vs 0.04 cm(2),p=0.0002). Conclusions: Treatment with rapid IPC healed venous ulcers more rapidly and in more patientsthan slow IPC. Both IPC treatments were well tolerated and accepted by the patients.These data suggestthat the rapid IPC used in this study is more effective than slow IPC in venous ulcer healing.

Keywords: Intermittent Pneumatic Compression Devices, Varicose Ulcer - therapy, Wound Healing, Intermittent Pneumatic Compression Devices, Varicose Ulcer - therapy, Wound Healing