Compliance With Wearing A Novel Dual Compression Wrap (DCS) Design In Patients With Lower Extremity Edema

Introduction:  The application of multi-layer compression therapy is the gold standard for the management of patients with venous insufficiency and other wounds compromised by lower extremity edema. For closure of wounds compromised by edema the patient must be compliant with compression therapy. Despite this knowledge, there is a widespread issue with prescribed compression wraps, leading to suboptimal healing outcomes and delays in wound closure. Non-compliance has been found to be driven largely by lack of patient comfort with many brands of compression wraps. A novel design has been launched in the United States focusing on both therapeutic goals and patient comfort to boost compliance and ultimately outcomes and overall cost.

Method: 745 total compression wraps were applied to 174 patients with various diagnoses over a 28-day period. Wraps were changed weekly, and patients were followed longitudinally for up to 28 days or until their wounds were closed to calculate degree of compliance over the study period, and reasons for non-compliance were recorded and assessed.

Results: Compliance rates of 94.5% were seen. When eliminating those patients whose wraps were removed at another medical appointment, compliance rose to 95.7%. Males were found to have decreased compliance compared to females. There were no differences found between compliance and age, diagnosis, or laterality. 

Conclusion: Comparison of our findings with historically reported data from other compression systems shows a significant improvement in compliance with this novel system. Comfort, exudate management, and edema reduction are key factors that lead to patient compliance. Product design seems to impact the consistent edema reduction leading to improved comfort. This product manages exudate drainage by wicking it from the wound, leading to less peri-wound maceration. Compliance can ultimately drive patient outcomes which will further lead to health care economic benefits.