Assessment of Quality of Life in venous ulcer

BACKGROUND: Typically, venous ulcers are recurrent in nature and with increased treatment cost leads to personal, social. mental and economic impact affecting Quality of Life (QoL). Generic tools are widely available in various languages have been frequently used to assess QoL. Among the various specific tools, Charing Cross Venous Leg Ulcer (CCVLU) Questionnaire showed high reliability, validity and responsiveness and shows good correlation with SF-36 in assessing HRQoL (Health related Quality of Life). METHODS: This study included 50 patients with venous ulcer and 56 limbs (six patients had bilateral ulcers). Quality of Life of venous ulcer patients was assessed by using SF-36 Questionnaire, The Charing Cross Venous Ulcer Questionnaire (CXVUQ) and Revised venous clinical severity score (VCSS), the changes in Quality of Life after treatment was compared to initial presentation in venous ulcer patients. RESULTS: After treatment, venous ulcer healed in all, except in 7 (12.5%) patients. Recurrence of venous ulcer was seen in 12 (21.43%) limbs. Quality of Life of patients prior to treatment and after the treatment by using SF-36 Questionnaire, Charing Cross Venous Ulcer Questionnaire, Revised Venous Clinical Severity Score showed that there was significant improvement in Quality of Life of patients after treatment with P value of <0.001. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, we found significant improvement in Quality of Life in patients of Venous ulcers after giving various modality of treatment which included Endovascular intervention and Four-layer dressing.