Abstract

MOREIRA, Márcia Maria Renó et al. Quality of life and functional ability in patients with arterial ulcers. av.enferm. [online]. 2016, vol.34, n.2, pp.170-180. ISSN 0121-4500.  https://doi.org/10.15446/av.enferm.v34n2.61617.

Objective: To assess Quality of Life (QOL) and functional ability in patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) and Arterial Ulcers (AUS). Methodology: Descriptive and cross-sectional clinical study, conducted in Southern Minas Gerais, Brazil. Sixty adult patients allocated in three groups -group PAD with aus, group PAD without aus, and control group, without both PAD and aus- were interviewed using the scales Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) and Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36), which assess physical disability and quality of live, respectively. The Krus-kal-Wallis test was used in order to compare the groups. Results: Forty-two participants (70%) are women, and the mean age was 63 years old. Patients with PAD, with or without aus, had significantly greater disability than patients without PAD (p < 0.01) on components related to walking, use of household utensils, hygiene, and reach/grip of objects. Patients with PAD, with or without lesions, reported significantly lower SF-36 scores -lower QOL- on Physical functioning, Role physical, Bodily pain, Vitality, Social functioning, and Role emotional domains, in comparison to patients from the control group (p < 0.001). Significant differences were also observed between the control group and the group with PAD and aus on the General health and Mental health domains. Conclusion: Patients with PAD, with or without AUS, reported difficulty in performing some activities of daily living and impaired QOL in comparison to patients without the disease.

Keywords : Quality of Life; Peripheral Arterial Disease; Skin Ulcer; Wounds and Injuries; Evaluation.

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