Arterial Ulcers

Arterial insufficiency means not having enough oxygenated blood to adequately support tissue functioning. In arterial ulcers, arterial insufficiency can cause pain in the calf and foot during walking or exercise. Arterial insufficiency may also be associated with significant pain at the lower extremities. Care should be taken to ensure that appropriate pain management techniques are employed.

Signs of arterial insufficiency include:

• Lack of hair growth.
• Persistent redness or cyanosis of the toes and feet.
• Cool or shiny skin.
• Absence or slowing of foot pulses.

A useful bedside test for arterial insufficiency is the Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI). This is obtained by checking the blood pressure at the elbow (Brachial) and at the posterior tibial artery location (Ankle) using a standard blood pressure cuff and a handheld doppler device to detect the blood flow. The division of the blood pressure at the Ankle by the Brachial blood pressure creates an index: ABI = Ankle BP/Brachial BP.

Proven Treatment for Arterial Ulcers

The TRUHEAL Wound Program is a proven method for healing chronic arterial ulcers in every care setting, including the home. The TRUHEAL Wound Program is the outcome of exhaustive research in wound care outcomes by Advanced Healing Institute.

The program combines two breakthrough therapies with well-researched procedures to speed up the wound healing process, even when other treatments have failed. Innovative technologies include:

• TRUHEAL Electromagnetic Pulse Therapy (EMPT), a proprietary technology for directing a specific radio frequency signal to stimulate the proliferation of human fibroblast cells in chronic wounds.
• TRUHEAL Catalytic Nanosilver™ Solution, a revolutionary drug-free silver spray with a composition and method of action that makes it different than any other silver-based product.

More about Arterial Ulcers

When there is an arterial ulcer -- skin breakdown associated with arterial insufficiency -- optimal management of related medical conditions and contributors can produce the quickest healing response. For example, improved control of congestive heart failure will promote better blood flow and oxygenation to the tissues.

In cases of arterial insufficiency, the patient's skin should be protected as if the area were an area of pressure breakdown.

Unlike pressure wounds, diabetic wounds, or burns that are described by stage, category, or degree, arterial wounds are described as either partial thickness or full thickness.

• Partial thickness wounds exhibit damage to the outer layer of the skin but not through the dermis – the layer of skin directly below the outer exposed layer.
• Full thickness wounds present with damage to the outer layer of skin, the dermis, and even deeper tissues, often reaching deeper structures such as connective tissue, muscle, even bone.

To appropriately establish wound type and cause, a thorough wound assessment should be completed as required by state and federal guidelines. The Advanced Healing Institute Wound Assessment Guideline requires a detailed assessment of the whole patient and their history as well as other factors including duration of the wound, patient’s recollection of the causative factors, complaints of pain, fever, numbness or drainage.