QUALITY OF LIFE IN PEOPLE WITH VENOUS ULCERS AND THE CHARACTERISTICS AND SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE WOUND

Abstract

Objective: to evaluate the quality of life of people with venous ulcers and correlate with the clinical characteristics and symptoms associated with the wound. Method: quantitative, cross-sectional and analytical study. For analyzes of associations of qualitative variables, the Chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests were applied, and for quantitative variables, Spearman’s correlation coefficient. The Pressure Ulcer Scale for Healing instrument was used to assess the wound and the Freiburg Life Quality Assessment Wound-wk for quality of life analysis. The study included 103 subjects with a wound time of more than six weeks, of venous etiology. Results: there was a correlation between the clinical characteristics of the venous ulcer and symptoms associated with quality of life. In the physical symptoms dimensions, people with venous ulcers had a worse score in relation to the pain symptom (p <0.0001). Associated with this, clinical characteristics such as the appearance (p <0.0001) and the area (p = 0.0037) of the wound also showed a correlation. Regarding the wound assessment scale (area, tissue in the wound and exudate), the worst score interfered with physical symptoms. Conclusion: the pain, size of the wound and its aspect negatively influences the quality of life of people with venous ulcers.

Keywords

• stomatherapy
• nursing
• healing
• quality of life
• varicose ulcer