(LML) Information about tools designed to measure and monitor ulcers

 

Leprosy Mailing List – June 13^th, 2012

 

Ref.:    Information about tools designed to measure and monitor ulcers (see attachments).

From: E Post, Würzburg, Germany

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Dear Salvatore,

 

I have answered Dane [D Anderson LML – June 13^th, 2012] personally already, but perhaps the answer is interesting for the wider leprosy community as well.

 

For wound care I would recommend to look at both skin care (how well is somebody in caring for him/herself) and at wound care (how quickly do ulcers heal).  You can do wound assessment in a complicated way or use a more simple measurement, and I prefer the latter: take the length, the width and multiply (forget about a constant multiplication factor, for the trend it doesn't matter).  In that way you can monitor the wound size over time.  If you can make standardised photos, you can monitor visually (great to communicate your results later on to other parties). The simple measurement of ulcer size is used in monitoring ulcers in the diabetic foot as well.

 

There exist more elaborate ulcer assessment tools, such as the Bates-Jensen tool, but recent reviews indicate that monitoring of ulcer size is in itself sufficient to monitor healing.  More elaborate tools are better used in strict clinical settings, in which more precise observations lead to actual changes in wound care approach.  We had adapted the Bates-Jensen tool for a prospective evaluation (ongoing) of the impact of being a member of Self Care Groups, but in the end decided against it and opted for the most simple tool (plus photo).

 

For your perusal I attach what we use, the Bates-Jensen tool, the adapted version, and two articles adequately explaining the value of simple wound measurement as a measure for healing.

 

Greetings,

Erik Post

 

 

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LML - S Deepak, B Naafs, S Noto, P A M Schreuder
LML Archives: http://www.aifo.it/english/resources/online/lml-archives/index.htm
Dr Salvatore Noto
Padiglione Dermatologia Sociale
Ospedale San Martino
Largo R. Benzi, 10
16132 Genoa, Italy
Tel: (+39) 010 555 27 83  -  Fax: (+39) 010 555 66 41  -  E-mail: salvatore.noto@hsanmartino.it