... A leg ulcer has been defined as the loss of skin below the knee, which takes more than six weeks to heal (Dale et al, 1983). Mr X had injured his leg six weeks prior to his referral to the DN's, therefore a leg ulcer assessment was conducted that incorporated a Doppler ultrasound, assessment of previous medical history and assessment of the limb and wound to determine the underlying cause of the ulcer and any associated diseases. This assessment will influence decisions about prognosis, referral, investigation and management (RCN, 1998). Lack of appropriate clinical assessment of patients with limb ulceration has often led to long periods of ineffective or inappropriate treatment (Stevens et al, 1997). The Doppler ultrasound revealed an ankle-brachial pressure index (ABPI) of 1.1 and 1.0 in the left. This gave an indication that Mr X had a vascular problem rather than arterial. The wound bed was sloughy, ...

See this essay or coursework document in full right now