TABLE 2.
Venous leg ulcer prevalence: characteristics of included studies.
| Author, year, Journal | Country | Aim | Data collection | Age (mean[SD]) | Sex (% women) | Outcome ascertainment | Prevalence type (duration of data collection) | N population | n VLU | VLU prevalence in % (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VLU patients among the residents of a region | ||||||||||
| Vowden et al., 2009, Journal of Tissue Viability | United Kingdom | Prevalence, management and characteristics of leg ulcers in Bradford population | Survey to care providers | 75.3 (14.9) | 57 | Patients records, no wound inspection | Point prevalence (6 d) | 487 975 | 195 | 0.04 (0.035‐0.046) |
| Moffatt et al., 2004, QJM An International Journal of Medicine | United Kingdom | Prevalence and cause of leg ulcers in a London population | Questionnaire to health professionals | 75 (na), 31‐94 a | 64 | Clinical assessment by trained research nurses (Doppler [ABPI>0.8], Duplex, photoplethysmography, open ≥4 wks) | Point prevalence (4 wks) | 252 463 | 49 b | 0.02 b (0.014‐0.026) |
| Srinivasaiah et al., 2007, Journal of Wound Care | United Kingdom | Prevalence, management and characteristics of wounds in north‐east England | Data collection in health establishments by a study team | na | na | Patients records and verbal feedbacks, no wound inspection | Point prevalence (2 d) | 590 000 | 260 | 0.04 b (0.039‐0.05) |
| VLU patients and self‐treating people in a regional sample | ||||||||||
| Baker et al., 1991, British Journal of Surgery | Australia | Prevalence and characteristics of venous leg ulcers in a Perth metropolitan population | Recruitment by referral from care providers and by self‐referral (via local newspapers) | 75 (na) c , 20‐99 a | 64.5 | Clinical assessment by study team (photoplethysmography, Doppler [ABPI>0.9], open ≥4 wks) | Point prevalence (3 mos) | 238 000 | 148 b | 0.06 (0.053‐0.073) |
| Rabe et al., 2003, Phlebologie | Germany | Prevalence and severity of CVD in urban and rural Bonn residential population | Questionnaire to random a sample of adults | 48 (16) | 56 | Clinical assessment by physicians and study team (CEAP, Doppler, Duplex) | Point prevalence (16 mos) | 3072 | 3 | 0.10 (0.02‐0.285) |
| Zolotukhin et al., 2017, European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery | Russia | Prevalence and risk factors of CVD in a rural community of central Russia | Invitation to participate to all community residents | 53.5 (17.8) | 63 | Clinical assessment by vascular surgeons and study team (CEAP, Duplex) | Point prevalence (2 mos) | 703 | 1 | 0.14 (0.004‐0.79) |
| VLU patients among patients receiving care | ||||||||||
| Khan et al., 2013, Phlebology | Pakistan | Prevalence and clinical pattern of CVD in primary care settings in Pakistan | Physicians requested to invite patients to participate | 39 (13.3) | 47.4 | Clinical examination by participating doctors according to CEAP | Point prevalence (4 mos) | 3000 | 18 | 0.60 b (0.36‐0.95) |
| Laible et al., 2002, Pflege | Germany | Prevalence of leg ulcers in home‐care setting in north‐Rhine Westphalia | Questionnaire to a random sample of home nursing services | 77.5 (10) | 68.7 | Patients records, no wound inspection | Point prevalence (1 wks) | 12 156 | 123 b | 1.01 b (0.84‐1.21) |
| Vuylsteke et al., 2018, Angiology | 23 countries | Prevalence of CVD and CVI in general practitioners practice in 23 countries | General practitioners requested to invite consecutive patients | 51.8 (na) | 70.7 | Clinical examination by participating general practitioners (trained for the study) according to CEAP | Point prevalence (47 mos) | 99 359 | 672 | 0.68 b (0.63‐0.73) |
| Kreft et al., 2020, Angiology | Germany | Prevalence and mortality of CVD and CVI in the German population | Random sample of insurants from databse of largest German health insurer | >50 | 57 | Health insurance database records, ICD‐10‐GM codes, no wound inspection | Period prevalence (1 y) | 269 670 b | 2454 | 0.91 (0.88‐0.95) |
| Margolis et al., 2002, Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology | United Kingdom | Prevalence and incidence of venous leg ulcers in the elderly | Random sample of patients from the General Practice Research Database | 65‐95 a | na | General practice research database records, OXMIS codes, validation of case definition | Period prevalence (1 year) | 50 000 | 845 b | 1.69 (1.58‐1.81) |
| Berenguer et al., 2019, International Wound Journal | Spain | Trends of venous leg ulcers'prevalence and incidence in a primary care centre in Barcelona | Idenfication of records of patients with VLU in health history database from 2010 to 2014 | 79.3 (13.7) | 54.8 | Primary care research database records, ICD codes, no wound inspection | Period prevalence (1 year) | 30332.4 d | 47.2 d | 0.16 d (0.11‐0.21) |
| Homs‐Romero et al., 2021, Journal of Nursing Scholarship | Spain | Validity of CVD diagnoses in primary care research database to estimate CVD, CVI and venous leg ulcers prevalence and incidence | Idenfication of records of patients with VLU in health history database | 50.7 (18.4) | 52.8 | Primary care research databae records, ICD codes, validation of case definition | Point prevalence (na) | 4 074 308 | 13 595 | 0.33 (0.328‐0.339) |
Abbreviations: ABPI, ankle brachial pressure index; CEAP, clinical etiological anatomical and pathophysiological; CVD, chronic venous disease; CVI, chronic venous insufficiency; ICD, international classification of diseases; na, not available; OXMIS, Oxford medical information system.
a
Range.
b
Calculated (not reported by author).
c
Median (IQR).
d
Average 5 years.