Characterization of health status with regard to tissue integrity and tissue perfusion in patients with venous ulcers according to the nursing outcomes classification

Nurses are active participants in caring for people with wounds and use their systematic knowledge to plan care. However, to apply adequate treatment, nurses need efficient tools to assess their patients' conditions. The purpose of this study was to characterize the tissue integrity and perfusion of the lower limbs of patients with venous ulcers based on Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC) indicators. This cross-sectional, exploratory and descriptive study consisted of questionnaire information and physical examination of 49 patients with venous ulcers monitored in an outpatient clinic in the metropolitan region of Maracanaú. The statistical software package SPSS v. 13.0 was used to store and process data. Female patients were predominant; most were 60 years old or older and most were retirees or pension holders living with their partners. Growth of hair and peripheral edema were the most critical operational indicators. The nursing outcome indicators for tissue integrity and perfusion were shown to be moderately compromised. The variable representing age was shown to be inversely related to tissue integrity. The presence of heart disease was also shown to influence tissue integrity. The diastolic blood pressure variable showed a negative correlation with tissue perfusion. The assessment of tissue integrity and perfusion based on NOC indicators presented as advantages the possibility of examining several characteristics of the skin from the many operational indicators, the adaptation of parameters according to the study's results and the quantification of the compromise of these outcomes.