Venous Stasis Ulcer(Hypostatic ulcer; Stasis ulcer)Ve-nus Sta-sis Ull-sir
by
Cynthia M. Johnson, MA DefinitionVenous stasis is a pooling of blood in the veins. A venous stasis ulcer is a wound on the skin caused by the pooled blood. These ulcers occur most often on the legs. CausesVeins have a series of valves that help the blood move in the right direction. When these valves fail to work properly, blood can move backward and pool in the veins. The pooled blood pushes fluid and blood cells out of the veins and into nearby tissue. The leaked fluids irritate the tissue and cause inflammation. Over time, the inflammation can breakdown tissue and lead to ulcers. Risk FactorsFactors that may increase your risk of venous stasis include:
Smoking is harmful to blood vessels. It may play a role in venous stasis. Varicose Veins
SymptomsAn ulcer is present for more than 4 weeks. Venous stasis ulcers may:
DiagnosisYou will be asked about your symptoms and health history. A physical exam will be done. The diagnosis can often be made based on this information. An ultrasound may be done. It can help to see how deep the wound is. It can also show blood flow to the area. TreatmentThe ulcer will need some time to heal. It usually takes 4 weeks or more. Special dressings are usually needed. They can protect from infection and speed healing. Excess fluid can cause irritation and further damage. The excess fluid will need to be moved away from the area. Options include:
Medicine may also help to improve blood flow. The medicine may be a pill or applied right to the skin. Options may include:
Other medicine may be applied to the skin to help healing. Surgery may be needed for larger wounds to:
PreventionVenous stasis ulcers often happen again. Managing venous stasis will help prevent future ulcers. Factors that may help include:
RESOURCES:Family Doctor—American Academy of Family Physicians https://www.familydoctor.org Society for Vascular Surgery https://vascular.org CANADIAN RESOURCES:Canadian Vascular Access Association http://cvaa.info Health Canada http://www.canada.ca References:Collins L, Seraj S. Diagnosis and treatment of venous ulcers. Am Fam Physician. 2010;81(8):989-996. Venous insufficiency and ulcers. New York-Presbyterian website. Available at: ...(Click grey area to select URL) Accessed August 17, 2017. Venous leg ulcer. NHS Choices website. Available at: ...(Click grey area to select URL) Updated February 2, 2016. Accessed August 17, 2017. Venous leg ulcers. Patient website. Available at: https://patient.info/health/venous-leg-ulcers-leaflet. Updated August 1, 2016. Accessed August 17, 2017.
Venous ulcer. EBSCO DynaMed Plus website. Available at:
http://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T115837/Venous-ulcer
. Updated September 18, 2016. Accessed August 17, 2017.
Last reviewed September 2018 by
EBSCO Medical Review Board
Michael Woods, MD, FAAP Last Updated: 8/22/2018 |
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