Estudo representacional da participação familiar nas atividades dos centros de atenção psicossocial no município de Natal-RN

Comprehending social representations of users relatives of Psychosocial Care Centers (CAPS) from Natal-RN, about their participation in the activities of these services, was the purpose of this study. The research instrument used was a semi-structured interview, led to 28 relatives of users of East and West CAPS II, East and North CAPS-ad, involved in the Relative Therapeutic Group, in Relative Meeting, in the Assembly of Users, Technicians and Relatives, according to the therapeutic schedule of each health services, between August to November 2007. Data obtained in family and users identification were characterized with the aid of charts and boards in absolute and/or percentage values. The discursive material from the guide from interviews was submitted to the informational resource ALCESTE (Analyse Lexicale par Contexte d'un Ensemble of Segments of Texte), and analyzed on the basis of the Theory of Social Representations and Central Nucleus Theory. Most of the relatives were women, married, aged over 50 years, who participated for more than two years in CAPS activities, and a coexistence of more than 11 years with the user. From the classification system of ALCESTE were selected categories, identified by: Category 1, Treatment Improvements and Expectations; Category 2, Living User Before and After; Category 3, Activities Relevance, Contradictions and Suggestions; Category 4, Guidelines -- Psychopharmacology and Medicalization; Category 5, Family Participation and Activities; and Category 6, Therapeutic Conditions Thanks, Tips and Vulnerability. The social representation of the family exists in the desire for change, identifying that we need to promote change by the continuity of therapeutic activities and overcome the detected inconsistencies, targeted by strengthening and by the stability of improvements in living and health conditions of users, experienced in CAPS treatment. The central nucleus had corresponded to positive changes in health and living conditions of users, and the peripheral elements were constituted by family conducts before and during treatment, and the expectations of changes in activities, especially in workshops. Despite this family participation be considered important, it still does not meet conditions to promote the inclusion of family, under an emancipating point of view, capable of causing in subject the hope for autonomy, initiative, individual and collective growths, a closer and active involvement in therapeutic activities, in workshops and discussions

Beirando a vida, driblando os problemas: estratégias de bem viver

The purpose of this study is to analyze the strategies used by families living in at-risk-and-vulnerable situations registered with the Estratégia Saúde da Família (ESF) ( Family Health Strategy ) as they face their daily problems. This is an investigation of a qualitative nature, using interview as the main tool for an empirical approach. Ten women from the Panatis location in northern Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, whose families live in precarious social-economical situations were interviewed. The interviews occurred between the months of April and June, 2007. The reports revealed that a mixture of improvisations and creativity was used as strategies for overcoming the privations and necessities of daily life. We also reached the conclusion that these families sought solutions for their problems through religiosity and a gift reciprocity system as resources for obtaining personal recognition and support in adversity. The results, in addition, point to ESF as one of the strategies used by these families in the search for attention and care. From this perspective, ESF has proven to be a place for listening and the construction of ties that are consolidated through home visits, organized groups, in parties and outings that are promoted in the community, reestablishing contact and support among people and signaling a way out of abandonment and isolation. Holders of knowledge constructed through life experiences, the participants of the study led us to induce and infer the need to amplify space that will allow them to express meanings, values and experiences, and consider that becoming ill is a process that incorporates dimensions of life that go beyond the physical. As health professionals, we need to be aware of the multiple and creative abilities used in the daily lives of these families, so that we can, along with them, reinvent a new way of dealing with health

Úlcera de pressão em pacientes internados em um hospital universitário em Natal/RN: condições predisponentes e fatores de risco

The pressure ulcers (PU), also known as decubitus ulcers, are defined as injuries caused by the constant pressure exerted on a particular point of the body, causing impairment of blood supply with a decrease or interruption of tissue irrigation, causing occlusion of blood vessels and capillaries, ischemia and cell death. This is a descriptive study with longitudinal design, and panel type, with quantitative approach that aimed to examine the association between predisposing conditions (PC), intrinsic factors (IF) and extrinsic factors (EF) with the occurrence of PU, in hospitalized patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), pain clinical, surgical clinical and neurology wards of a university hospital. The study population was composed of all patients who were restricted to bed during the period from December 2007 to February 2008. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of HUOL / UFRN (No 135/07). The data-collection took place through a structured formulary of observation, data from medical records and physical examination of patients skins. The results were organized in SPSS 15.0 software, tabulated, categorized and analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics. Of the 30 patients studied, 43.3% had been hospitalized in the pain clinical and surgical clinic wards, 20.0% in the ICU, 20.0% in the ICU / ward and 16.7% in neurology, being the length of hospitalization in those units of 7 to 18 days (63.3%) and from 19 to 30 days (36.7%), predominantly female and aged ≥ 60 years (60.0%). 19 PU were diagnosed in 43.3% of patients monitored, being 38.5% with one PU between 7 to 18 days and 46.2% with two or more between 19 to 30 days of hospitalization, showing significant relationship (ρ-value = 0029) between length of hospital stay and the number of PU. Was found an association of 35.7% of the PC (cardio-respiratory, hematological, metabolic and psychogenic), IF (age group, oedema, skin changes in humidity and change of body temperature) and EF (type of mattress and strength of body pressure) for all patients studied, statistically significant (ρ-value = 0001), between the average scores in patients with and without PU, with reason chance to 12.0 for the development of PU and there was moderate correlation ( r = 0618) in the presence of this association. Results show the influence of the multiplicity of factors and conditions on the occurrence of PU, which brings us to reflect on the assistance focused on prevention and reduction of these injuries which will encourage the reduction of hospitalization length, physical and psychological suffering, and the possibility of improving the clinical condition of the patient.

Gritos de silêncio: na voz dos familiares cuidadores de portadores da doença de Alzheimer

This work is an investigation related to issues of those who take home care of people who suffer from Alzheimer disease (AD). Thus, it is justified by the need to acknowledge how these relatives perform this task and in which ways they do this. The study has is analytical and qualitative methodology with the use of a thematic oral history approach. The subjects of the research were nine relatives of those who suffer from AD that participate in the home care group in the Candelária neighborhood in the city of Natal in Rio Grande do Norte-Brazil. The data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire and interview that was booked in advance and had full support from the care takers. After information collection, three thematic axles were defined. After this procedure, three analisys subcategories were also defined. The first thematic axle emphasizes the so called movement of rite of passage, when the relative becomes a care taker of a person with AD. The second category deals with the care takers strategies, either related to their own behalf or on their relative. It is possible to infer that amongst other forms of help, the care taker needs to rely on a support network, such as health services, groups composed by multiprofessionals that enable better articulation between family and collaborators. The dimension related to faith and spirituality was also observed and pointed out as an important aspect in the emotional support process for these relatives. In the third axle the perspectives of struggle, conquests of the right to health and life quality of those who suffer from AD as well as their relatives was observed. These also deal with dreams and hope

Acurácia do teste de labirinto no rastreamento de déficits cognitivos em idosos

This study intended to evaluate the maze test accuracy in cognitive deficit screening in elderly with or without neuropsychological pathology. The sample included 40 healthy young (18-25 years old; mean- 21 ± 1.6), 40 healthy old (60-77 years old; mean- 67 ± 5.1) and 18 patients with probable diagnosis of Alzheimer s disease initial stage (52-90 years old; mean- 78 ± 9.2). Data analysis was made using Anova with Tukey s post hoc, multiple linear regression analysis and ROC curve analysis. According to Tukey s test Alzheimer patients spent more time (46843 ± 37926 ms) to execute the test than healthy young (5482 ± 2873 ms; p= 0.0001) and elderly (17978 ± 13700; p= 0.0001); healthy young executed test n lower time (p= 0.035). According to the regression analysis of age, education level and cognitive performance of the three groups, the cognitive performance was the predictor of the execution time. When analyzing young and elderly only age was the predictor and the cognitive performance was the only factor to influence the test of old aged healthy and patients. The ROC curve analysis indicated 72% accuracy for young and elderly and 36% for healthy and elderly patients. The maze execution time represented a better balance between sensibility (75%) and the specificity (61%) was near 13575 ms, indicating that those subjects that execute the maze in a time higher to this value may show cognitive deficit related to the executive function. According to the results it is suggested that the maze test used in this study shows a good accuracy in the cognitive deficit tracking and may discriminate age changes

A aprendizagem na convivência:o estágio curricular em enfermagem

This is an analytic research of a qualitative nature whose purpose is to examine the learning process involving students of the Nursing Program of the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte UFRN who are attending the Supervised Clerkship in Nursing (SCN) in Family Health Strategy (FHS), based on learning through daily living. In order to do this, a historical overview of this academic activity in the teaching of nursing was presented, and the importance of FHS as the scene where professional health education takes place was discussed. For the empirical investigation, ten eighth-semester students involved in clerkship activities at family health units in the Western Sanitary District of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, were interviewed. The theoretical approach relied, as epistemological presupposition, on the ideas of educator Humberto Maturana who showed that learning, both in nature and among human beings, takes place within dialogic living relationships wherein acceptance of the other, affectivity (love) and dialoguing are essential stimuli to learning. Students discourses gradually became part of the analytic categories that had been established beforehand. There has been verified that the students went through meaningful learning encouraged by all who shared the living environment, that is: nurse/instructor, teacher/supervisor, family health staff, and the community. Several feelings were involved in the process, such as joy, satisfaction, self-reliance, affectivity and, in the opposite direction, sadness, indignation, a feeling of impotence, and fear. The learning of interpersonal relationship was describe as the most relevant of the academic experiences and, therefore, thus emphasizing the relevance of affectivity to the learning process as Maturana points out. It is suggested that the teaching of nursing keep on giving priority to family health units as the Basic Care educational scene, with attention to the importance of placing the students in welcoming environments, in such a way as to encourage learning

As representações sociais da morte e do processo de morrer para profissionais que trabalham em unidade de terapia intensiva uti

This study aimed to seize the general social representations of doctors and nurses who work in ICUs on the process of death and dying. We also aimed to know the social representations of these professionals in relation to death and the process of dying of people who are under their care, identify factors that influence the construction of these representations and identify similarities and differences between the two professions. The study was conducted from the perspective of the Theory of Social Representations of Serge Moscovici and the Central Nucleus of Jean-Claude Abric. The study was conducted in the Intensive Care Unit of Natal Hospital Center, a private hospital of the city of Natal - Rio Grande do Norte. This is descriptive and exploratory research. Twenty-four (24) professionals were interviewed, twelve (12) nurses and twelve (12) doctors. Data were collected through two instruments: Test of Free Association of Words, semi-structured interview. Later, they were coded, categorized and analyzed according to Content Analysis of Bardin (1977). The words evoked after the use of inducing words - death and dying - and the interviews, led to three thematic categories: Death and dying as a biological event, death and dying as a psychosocial event, death and dying as a transcendental event. As final considerations, we believe that the social representations of the group are translated in death and dying as biological and psychosocial events and anchored in the transcendental aspects, we do not see obvious differences in the testimonies of doctors and nurses , and the factors that interfere the construction of these offices is the culture, including religion

Atuação dos profissionais de enfermagem durante o processo transfusional na UTI de um hostital universitário

Prospective descriptive study with quantitative approach, which aimed to analyze the relationship of the knowledge of Nurses and conduct assistance during the process of transfusion, to patients in the ICU of a university hospital in Natal-RN. The sample consisted of 27 professionals from the nursing staff (5 nurses and 22 nursing technicians), climbing in the ICU during the period of data collection. Data collection was through a questionnaire and structured form of observation, in addition to consulting the diary. The results were organized in SPSS 15.0, tabulated, cathegorized and analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics. The results show a young population, aged between 21 and 32 years (63.0%), female (85.2%). Among those surveyed were the main type of stock, mostly technical, nursing (ρ= 0006), which have little time to experience - up to 2 years (ρ= 0008), did not know the DRC in 153 (ρ= 0019), held greater number of pipelines care in blood (ρ= 0018), the non-participation in training and feel informed about the process of transfusion, showed no significant differences. As for officials, highlighted only the time to experience more than 2 years, carrying out fewer procedures and feel informed about the blood. As for the pipes during the transfusion process, I found that the majority of pipes observed in both the stock and the staff were inadequate, with predominance in the first, both in the pursuit of conduct regarding the shortfall. The averages of inappropriate conduct, predominantly developed by stock, were higher in all stages for appropriate conduct. Analyzing the knowledge about the disease process, the stock market were those who had lower scores of knowledge in three stages. As the relationship between the pipes care and knowledge, we see that at all stages of the process of transfusion inadequate knowledge of the averages were higher, taking a significant difference in the stages pre-transfusion (ρ= 0012). When analyzing the average of pipes behind, we see that in inappropriate conduct were significantly higher (ρ= 0031), who had searched in inadequate knowledge. As for the frequency of total procedures performed, we found a significant predominance (ρ= 0049) of inappropriate conduct (88.9%) of which 81.5% were developed by professionals who had inadequate knowledge, showing moderate correlation (r = 0,516) and odds ratio of 2,750 times the development of inappropriate conduct in trade with inadequate knowledge. We conclude that the professionals surveyed, especially the technicians of nursing stock, showed serious deficiencies with regard to the development of pipelines and knowledge of the transfusion process, showing the inadequacy to develop this therapy. Facing the foregoing, we accept the alternative hypothesis proposed in the study, because we show that the inadequacy of knowledge about the process of transfusion influence in inappropriate conduct implemented by the nursing staff in ICU.

O sofrimento do paciente na UTI : escutando a sua experiência

In tertiary care, the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is nowadays one of the most complex settings in providing care to critically ill patients and could make the difference in favor of life. Nevertheless, the stigma of death which pervades the imagination when the ICU is mentioned and the excessive importance placed on machines rather than on the human being end up by causing distress to some extent. As the purpose of this investigation is to understand the distress caused to a patient in an ICU, it has been grounded on the following question: What kind of distress does a patient go through during his/her experience in an ICU? This study has, therefore, an analytical and reflexive character embedded in a qualitative dimension of a phenomenological approach based on narratives. To this purpose, five patients were interviewed from November to December 2008. Out of the empirical material gathered from these narratives we were able to identify several factors that cause distress to ICU patients. Among them were: the certainty that they are critically ill and fear death, a closed room, too much lighting, a typical loneliness arising from being isolated from family members and dear ones, lack of communication with the professional staff, and noise; besides having to undergo therapeutic procedures. In summary, although the ICU is seen as a place of distress, in many aspects and in accord with this research, such distress can and should be relieved. On the other hand, being near to death leads them to a redefinition of life, said the patients.

Experienciando a ausência do companheiro nas consultas de pré-natal

This research aimed to understand pregnant general meaning about consort absence in prenatal care. It s an exploratory and descriptive qualitative approach, developed at Centro de Saúde de Jardim Lola, São Gonçalo do Amarante / RN. Participated in investigation 20 pregnant enrolled in prenatal program, their aged over 18 years, guidance of mental faculties and who survive together her partner. Data were collected from March to May 2009, through semi-structured interview. The analysis was processed according to grounded theory and symbolic interactionism as theoretical and methodological references. To support discussions were used literature findings involving political aspects of women humanization in health care and gender relations within family. Following footsteps of points it were adopted derived following sub categories: ¨Realizing involvement of consort during prenatal¨, ¨Expressing feelings during prenatal¨ and ¨Manifesting attitudes during prenatal period¨. These, when they had their properties and dimensions analyzed, resulted in the main category ¨ Experiencing absence of compeer in clinical prenatal¨. The construction of this theory leads to conclusion that women understand absence of her partner, attributing this to even work at the moment prenatal care or does not like to attend health institutions. However, this does not mean that his presence is dismissed, because desire to be with him in prenatal care was mentioned by most interviewees. So, partner absent at time, leads women to experience desires, feelings, attitudes, perceptions and expectations about studied phenomenon. This reality, induce that absence of them partner in prenatal care predisposes women to strengthening of discomforts arising from pregnancy and therefore goes against wellbeing of pregnant, and ensure the possibility of marital discord. This requires professional nursing measures to get in inclusion of partner in daily pre-natal care in humanization perspective.

Infecção do trato urinário associada à sondagem vesical numa unidade de terapia intensiva

A descriptive, quantitative approach and non-participant observation study, which was aimed at analyzing the association between knowledge and practice of inclusion and maintenance of urinary catheter by nursing professionals in the occurrence of urinary tract infection, performed in the ICU of Onofre Lopes University Hospital in Natal / RN. The original sample was composed of 42 nursing staff professional, five (5) nurses and 37 nursing technicians, 27 of them were outsourced (FUNPEC and IEL fellows) and 10 servers UFRN. Data collection was performed using two instruments, the first observation procedures used in the insertion and manipulation of indwelling urinary catheter (IUC) and the second with a questionnaire that addressed the characterization data of respondents, knowledge and conduct the insertion and manipulation of the IUC. The results were tabulated in Microsoft Excel and analyzed using SPSS software, version 15.0. We found the prevalence of institutional staff members on outsourcing - IEL and FUNPEC - (64.3%) were female (69.0%), aged 21 to 35 years (59.5%) and with mid-level education (88.1%). As to knowledge, we found that the nurses had levels of good to excellent and the nursing technicians, to regulate the poor. The nurses made a mistake when choosing IUC (40.0%) and washing hands (30.0%) and technicians on hand washing (74.4%) and the contents of the tray (34.7%). In relation to the conduct of insertion of IUC, the nurses made a mistake when choosing SVD (66.7%) and washing hands (57.1%). Regarding the handling of IUC/drainage system, the technicians were wrong more about washing their hands (56.0%). Analyzing the misconduct to the categorization of knowledge, we saw that the nursing staff who had missed more had inadequate knowledge (ρ = 0.001). At the end we found the risk of a patient to acquire UTI is higher in two and a half times when there is a large number of mismatches, patient spends more time using the IUC and hospitalized in the ICU. As regards the study hypotheses, we accept the alternative hypothesis and reject the null hypothesis proposed at the start of this research, where the number of gaps in knowledge and behavior increases the incidence of urinary tract infection.

A morte a concepção de estudantes de enfermagem

Understanding the meaning of death for student nurses is the subject of this research. The motivation for the meeting place of my difficulties as a person and especially as a teacher in the face of nursing students in dealing with death on a day-to-day hospital during the undergraduate course. Death became known that this evil looms before men and destabilizing, causing often irreversible mental disorders when faced with family loss. Therefore, it is appropriate to study it the possibility of making us reflect on our way of living life and dealing with human beings from the perspective of finitude. Aimed to understand the meaning of death for nursing students. For this purpose, it was based on the following guiding question: What is the meaning of death for you as a nursing student? From this perspective, the study was developed within a qualitative dimension of the phenomenological approach. To perform ten students were interviewed during the month of July 2009. Emerged from these interviews a variety of feelings such as fear, anxiety, insecurity, failure, sadness, as the sensory experience of each. To understand the meaning units that emerged from the empirical data which constitute the essence of this research were fundamental studies dealing with Heidegger about the death in a phenomenological perspective, as well as authors Bicudo, D'Assunção, Dastur, Morin, Boff, Kübler-Ross, Boemer, among others. From the understanding of the phenomenon, we can say that death produces mixed feelings in these students that lead to selfprotection, understood, often as a departure from the other, at the approach of death. However, it proved to be sensitive and receptive to the approach of death in other dimensions, beyond the highly technical aspects, pointing to a paradigm shift that has the yeast's own willingness to change. In addition, the research highlights the weaknesses in the education of nurses regarding the understanding of the whole human death and the need to overcome them.

Qualidade de vida de pessoas com úlceras venosas atendidos no ambulatório de um hospital universitário

Descriptive study aimed to analyze the quality of life (QOL) of patients with venous ulcers (UV) outpatient clinic of a university hospital in Natal / RN. The aim of the study population was composed of 50 patients with UV treated at the cardiology clinic of a university teaching hospital at the tertiary level. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (Protocol 279/09). Data collection was performed over a period of two months by the very a masters degree and an academic nursing through the application of a form concerning the socio-demographic, clinical, and health care, and the instruments WHOQOL and WHOQOL - old. The data were analyzed with SPSS 15.0, using descriptive and inferential statistics presented in the form of tables, charts and graphs. Of the surveyed, female predominance, age range 59 years, Catholic, low education, married, with up to 03 children, not working, retired, or with occupations requiring long periods in one position, wage income of up to 02 minimum wages, inadequate sleep, patients with chronic venous insufficiency and other chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, were taking medications for treatment, being a minority to IVC. In patients with predominant only one injury, time of injury up to five years, inadequate rest, pain, edema and lesions colonized. The assistance the UV patients began treatment of the injury until four months after the onset of the ulcer, and services primary health care most wanted, access to angiologist by reference form, commuted by public transportation, received support regarding the treatment of injuries. The topical product most used in the lesion was healing, and few were using compression therapy. respondents suffer discrimination in society, showed changes in quality of life after the occurrence of ulcer in relation to leisure, pain, restriction of social / school / transportation; barring employment / financial / social ladder; Physical appearance / discrimination and restriction of domestic activity. These changes were related to the time of injury and found that the more chronic injury is the most negative changes occur in their QV (ρ = 0.000). Analyzing the characteristics of QV measured by the WHOQOL-bref, we found for the two general questions they are dissatisfied with their health (ρ = 0.023) and all areas have significant difference compared with the worst QV have the injury of more than 5 years (ρ = 0.000). The QV measured by the WHOQOL-old, we found that these patients had no changes from the time of injury. We conclude that the QV of patients with UV was considered unsatisfactory when compared to the time of injury on more than 5 years which shows that the quality of life worsens with time the chronic UV.

Articulação ensino/serviço na visão de discentes de enfermagem

It is a descriptive study with a qualitative approach aimed at understanding the impact of the teaching / service between the Nursing College of University of Rio Grande do Norte (FAEN / UERN) and health services in the city of Mossoró / RN on student s learning process. Hence, it was inquired to rescue and over-elaborate the trajectories experienced by students who were graduating in the year of 2009 the Nursing graduation course. It was used, as guidance tool a questionary with both open and objective questions to support the data collection. The data analysis was accomplished based on the precepts proposed by Bardin. The research revealed a clear need of bond establishments with the involvement of the students on services as well as professionals inserted on Academy, in a way that knowledge can be built collectively and the difficulties can be eased.

Custo-efetividade da terapia compressiva no processo de cicatrização de úlceras venosas

Analytical study of therapeutic nonrandomized intervention type, intra-group controlled, with the aim of analyzing the cost-effectiveness of compression therapy with manipulated Unna boot in relation to conventional therapy in the healing of venous ulcers (VU) of patients treated in ambulatory clinic. The study population was composed by patients with VU treated by angiologists in Surgical Clinic Ambulatory of the Onofre Lopes University Hospital (HUOL) with a sample of 18 patients. It obtained the assent of the HUOL Ethics in Research Committee (Protocol 276/09). Data collection was performed over a period of four months by the own master's student and 34 nursing students, through the application of the research instrument in the admission of patients to the study and in the ten subsequent evaluations, performed at the time of changing Unna boot, weekly, for a maximum period of 10 weeks. The data were analyzed with SPSS 15.0 software, using descriptive and inferential statistics, and presented as tables, charts and graphs. Among those surveyed, prevailed: females, mean age 57.6 years, low education and income levels, most retired, unemployed or off work, with the standing position more than six hours per day and up to eight hours daily of domestic or occupational activities. In health status profile of respondents there were predominantly sleep, rest and inadequate elevation of the lower limbs, no smoking and/or alcohol use, presence of hypertension and no use of drugs. Most presented the first VU for over 10 years, recurrences, present VU for more than five years, involvement of left leg, in malleolar and / or distal leg region, mild edema, hyperpigmentation, lipodermatosclerosis, telangiectasies, reticular and varicose veins, mild pain, serous exudate in moderate quantity, small lesions (up to 50cm2), with predominance of granulation tissue and / or epithelialization and demarcated, elevated and irregular borders, with crusts and macerated. Most patients reported that in the 10 weeks prior to admission, made bandages at home and / or Basic Health Unit and / or ambulatory, with nursing aides or technicians, daily, and on weekends or holidays, performed by patients themselves, using healing ointment on the lesion, being observed granulation / epithelialization and increase in VU prevalent in the 10 weeks of traditional treatment. After follow up with manipulated Unna boot, was observed a decrease of lesions in all study patients, with complete healing in 27.8% of those between 1 and 5 weeks of treatment, with satisfactory evolution of the lesions, pain and ankle and calf circumferences, and unsatisfactory development of the borders of ulcers, edema, sleep, rest and elevation of the lower limbs, especially in more chronic patients. Furthermore, patients who achieved total healing and exhibited the greatest percentage reduction of lesions had a higher number of wound healing factors (ρ = 0.01 and ρ = 0.027, respectively). The manipulated Unna boot showed better results in those patients with shorter duration of injury, leading them to a satisfactory outcome within a short period of treatment. After the cost-effectiveness analysis, we conclude that the manipulated Unna boot is more effective than conventional therapy in the healing process of VU and is more cost-effective in patients with shorter lesions (ρ = 0.001), shorter treatment (ρ = 0.000) and greater number of wound healing factors (ρ = 0.005).