FAQ – CompressionGo

FAQ

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When do you apply compression therapy?

What is the difference between venous, mixed and arterial leg ulcer?

What can I do if there is no ABPI measurement?

There are other methods of identifying vascular issues and ischemia if an ABPI measurement is not available. Palpation of dorsal pedal pulses allows initial screening and requires no equipment. In this test, you can assess the pulse in the posterior and anterior tibial arteries by palpation.

How to do it?

The posterior tibial pulse is palpated just behind the medial malleolus. The anterior tibial pulse should be palpated at the ankle, at the midpoint between the two malleoli not more distally in the foot, where it lies deeper. The dorsal most prominence of the navicular bone is marked.
Pulse palpation is evaluated by using two fingers, the index and middle fingers of the dominant hand. The posterior tibial is felt posterior to the medial malleolus of the tibia. For the dorsalis pedis feel on the dorsum of the foot, lateral to the extensor tendon of the great toe.

Interpetation:
>> Absence of both pedal pulses on one foot strongly suggests the presence of pedal vascular disease
>> In case no pulse can be felt or if unable to perform pulse palpation, patient should be referred to a vascular specialist or relevant health professional for further assessment
Note: ABPI could be false in patients with arterial calcification.
A doppler can also be used to determine arterial flow

What can I do if my patient does not adhere to the prescribed compression therapy?

Here are some tips to support compliance with compression therapy:
• Explain why compression therapy is so important
• Explain that compression, along with the right local treatment, will help the ulcer heal faster
• Explain how compression may feel. Use positive language like ‘support’ and ‘firm’, avoid words like ‘tight’
• Give clear, unambiguous information to the patient and their caregivers
• Ensure the correct size is selected by taking accurate limb measurements and fitting
• Apply compression first thing in the morning when edema is minimal

Here are some examples of questions that can be used to encourage patients to participate in care planning:
• How do you feel about the care plan we have discussed?
• Is there anything that you feel will be difficult to do?
• What changes could be made to make this any easier for you?
• Do you have any other comments or questions?

When is compression contraindicated?

Compression is contra-indicated in:
- For Full compression (~40mmHg): moderate or severe arterial conditions - notably with recent Ankle Brachial Pressure Index (ABPI) < 0.8
- For Lite compression (~20mmHg): severe arterial conditions, notably with recent Ankle Brachial Pressure Index (ABPI) < 0.6
- Patients suffering from phlegmatia coerulea dolens, septic phlebitis
- Edema from congestive cardiac failure
- Epifascial arterial bypass
- Known hypersensitivity to any of the components

What are the components of Urgo K2 Lite?

UrgoK2 Lite not made with natural rubber latex is composed of KTech Lite/KTech Reduced (Layer 1) and KPress not made with natural rubber latex (Layer 2).
• Layer 1: KTech Lite/KTech Reduced: white, short-stretch bandage; provides compression, protection.
KTech Composition: wadding: viscose, polyester; knitted layer: polyamide, elastane.
• Layer 2: KPress not made with natural rubber latex : pink/beige, cohesive long-stretch bandage; provides the additional compression necessary to achieve the therapeutic pressure and secures the bandages in place.
KPress not made with natural rubber latex composition: cotton, polyester, polyamide, elastane; synthetic not made with natural rubber latex cohesive material.

What are the components of Urgo K2?

UrgoK2 not made with natural rubber latex is composed of KTech (Layer 1) and KPress not made with natural rubber latex (Layer 2).
• Layer 1: KTech: white, short-stretch bandage; provides compression, protection.
Composition: wadding: viscose, polyester; knitted layer: polyamide, elastane.
• Layer 2: KPress not made with natural rubber latex : pink/beige, cohesive long-stretch bandage; provides the additional compression necessary to achieve the therapeutic pressure and secures the bandages in place.
KPress not made with natural rubber latex composition: cotton, polyester, polyamide, elastane; synthetic not made with natural rubber latex cohesive material.

Why are there two kit sizes available?

There are several ways on how a compression system is able to provide the accurate therapeutic compression prescribed: bandage tension (or stretch), overlap (or number of layers applied) and the patient ankle circumference. One way for UrgoK2 to provide clinicians a way to ensure consistent compression is applied every time is the pressure indicator, or circle, printed on both the short- and long-stretch bandages. During application, stretching the oval into a circle will ensure the correct tension or stretch. Another way of ensuring consistent compression is by measuring the ankle size and selecting the appropriate kit. Both kits have the circle printed on a different part of the bandage to help dictate the overlap and take into account a larger ankle circumference. The circles will help guide you during the application to ensure correct overlap for both kits. Accurate tension and overlap will ensure every patient receives consistent compression.

Can I use UrgoK2 for a patient with an ankle circumference > 32 cm?

For ankle circumference > 32 cm, the 25-32 cm kit may be used. The level of compression will approach the therapeutic pressure with the progressive edema reduction. In the event of very stout legs, 2 kits may be used to cover the leg.

Does UrgoK2 stay in place after edema reduction?

Because UrgoK2 ensures your patient is getting therapeutic levels of compression and offers both short- and long-stretch bandages, we often see a drastic reduction in edema upon initial application. We call this the decongestive period. Because the patient’s leg circumference is drastically reduced, you will see slippage – this means that the compression is working and needs to be reapplied to continue reducing edema. We recommend in the first week or two to plan on an extra dressing change/nurse visit to monitor progress.

What is good compression?

Compression therapy is recognized as the gold standard of care for venous leg ulcers. Good compression therapy will restore proper venous dynamics to heal the wound.
Compression therapy should deliver continuous pressure (day & night, regardless of the level of patient mobility), because ulcers do not take breaks!
It should be consistently applied to effectively restore venous dynamics. For this to be repeatable no matter which clinician is applying it, it needs to be easy to apply, with visual guidance to secure reliability and accuracy.
It should be comfortable & tolerable for patients. This will improve their treatment adherence. The first days are the hardest as the healing process begins.

What is the ABPI? How can I measure it ?

The ABPI (Ankle Brachial Pressure Index) is calculated with the systolic blood pressure at the ankle divided by that at the arm. A low ABPI is considered to be indicative of blocked arteries du to peripheral arterial disease (PAD).
In patients presenting with leg ulceration, the APBI should be calculated using a Doppler device or other screening device before selecting a treatment option.

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