THE SOCIAL REALITY OF PATIENTS WITH CRITICAL LOWER LIMB ISCHAEMIA

Aim. To further our understanding of the social reality of patients who reach the most advanced stages of chronic ischaemia of the lower limbs (critical ischaemia). Patients and methods. Interviews were conducted with patients and a relative in order to obtain data about the primary residence, socio-familial situation, economic resources and level of schooling of 50 patients admitted to our service with a diagnosis of critical lower limbs ischaemia, between October 1st and December 31st 2005. The information thus obtained was later compared with the same data from the Living Standards Measurement Survey conducted by the National Institute of Statistics (INE) for the area under study and in the same age group. Results. The mean age of the patients was 69.1 years and 84% of the subjects were males and 16% females. The rate of relative poverty was found to be 50% in patients with critical ischaemia versus 24.8% in the local population of the same age. The rate of illiteracy among the patients studied was 26%, while the figure in the general population was 11.5%. With regard to their residence, 32% of the patients live in a flat on one of the higher floors of an apartment block without a lift, and this percentage remains the same in patients who undergo major amputation. Conclusions. There was a tendency towards social exclusion in patients with severe ischaemia in the limbs. The vascular surgeon must be familiar with this social reality when it comes to treating these patients so that a multidisciplinary approach involving social workers, GPs, nursing staff and home-help workers can be implemented.