Long-term observational study on outpatient treatment of venous diseases with medical compression...

Background: As detailed data are lacking on the provision of medical compression stockings (MCSs) in outpatient therapy of venous disorders in Germany, we examined various application parameters of mediven® round-knit garments in an 18-month observational study. Results: Findings possibly indicative of impaired tolerability (dry skin [26.5–29.6 %], transient skin irritation [1.3–2.7 %]) were rare and decreased during the course of the study. The number of patients reporting a marked improvement during the past 12 months increased by 41.5–46.1 %, irrespective of the CEAP classification. Up to 84.5 % of participants reported that their well-being remained at a constantly high level, and the CEAP class improved objectively in 17.7 % of participants. The participants were prescribed an average of four prescriptions for MCSs (mainly compression class 2) which, irrespective of the CEAP and BMI, were mostly of a light quality. During the study, 65.3–75.6 % of patients wore the MCSs every day. Conclusion: Our data show that mediven® MCSs are very well tolerated and lead to a subjective improvement in symptoms. Nevertheless, our results clearly confirm the need to optimise provision to patients with venous disorders....