PREVIEW NOTES

Evaluation of functional capacity of patients with venous ulcers: a transversal study

Renata da Costa Santos¹, Alessandra Conceição Leite Funchal Camacho¹

¹Fluminense Federal University

ABSTRACT
The loss of functional capacity in adult and senior patients as a result of venous ulcers harms daily basic activities in general.
Aims: To evaluate the functional capacity in caring for adult and senior patients with venous ulcers; to identify the impact of functional limitations in caring for adult and senior patients with venous ulcers; to discuss the relationship of functional capacity and quality of life of adult and senior patients with venous ulcers. Hence, the need to improve the quality of life of such patients emerges, based on the prevention of complications and new treatments.
Method: This is a transversal study which has adopted an observational approach.
Descriptors: Varicose Ulcer; Nursing Care; Wound Healing; Health of the Elderly; Adult Health.

PROBLEM-SITUATION AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE

Adults and seniors with venous ulcers experience limitations in terms of body movement, which generates a reduction in the functional capacity of such people. Body movements express needs and feelings, besides enabling the patient to have a life involving movement. Therefore, difficulty or incapacity with regard to performing daily activities that are linked to self-care, to other basic fundamental activities related to daily life such as dressing, eating, showering and moving and to instrumental activities such as shopping, paying bills, cooking and taking care of the patient’s own health be extremely harmful to a highly productive society⁽¹⁾. From this point-of-view, the object of this research will be the evaluation of the capacity of adult and senior patients with venous ulcers. From this perspective, it is important to mention that the Technical Field of Adult and Elderly Health reaffirms the need for changes in the way in which this population is cared for and attended to, by the humanization in caring, as well as by the motivation to innovate, through the dissemination of specific knowledge to policymakers and health professionals who work in the network, looking for partnerships and disseminating the idea of an active aging. The justification of this study is based on the need to avoid complications from venous ulcers and to promote self-care in adult and senior patients with venous ulcers. This can be done through the use of protective technology in health, through the evaluation and analysis of the functional capacity and the social support received, with the aim of improving the quality of life of such patients. Thus, with the increase in the number of seniors due to the increase in life expectancy in conjunction with low birth rates, there is a need to develop new technologies that aim to provide treatment that, in the past was considered impossible in terms of enabling a favorable afterlife following certain diseases, especially chronic ones⁽²⁾. The relevance of this research is based on the fact that it supports the view that health assistance to adult and senior patients with venous ulcers requires a mode of assistance that is focused on a holistic model of caring, where the human being must be assisted in terms of real necessities. Once upon a time this pathologic state generated a number of expectations, fears and anxieties in regard to the affected quality of life. This was due to the features of the disease that limited and impeded the individual from performing daily physical activities. This had social and professional restrictions, generating high social and economic expenses. The chronicity of venous ulcers requires a detailed follow-up of patients with this lesion on the part of health institutions, involving the use of multi-disciplinary teams⁽³⁾.

QUESTION

How can the evaluation of functional capacity influence the quality of life of adult and senior patients with venous ulcers?

AIMS

To evaluate the functional capacity of adult and senior patients with venous ulcers; to identify the impact of functional limitations on the self-care of adult and senior patients with venous ulcers; to discuss the relationship between functional capacity and the quality of life in adult and senior patients with venous ulcers.

METHOD

This study will embrace a transversal method with an observational emphasis on the evaluation of the functional capacity of adult and senior patients with ulcers. A quantitative approach will be adopted. This research will take place in the Wound Ward of the Antonio Pedro College Hospital (HUAP, in Portuguese), located in the municipality of Niterói. The subjects involved are adult and senior patients with venous ulcers, forming a randomized sample with the assistance of the calculations from Bioestatic 4.0 software, if they correspond to the criteria for inclusion in the study, and if they agree to participate in the research in accordance with ethical standards. To collect the data, the following instruments will be used: 1. Protocol I (adapted) – Profile of patients with venous ulcers; 2. Instrumental activities of daily life scale – LAWTON AIVDs; 3. Activities of daily life scale – KATZ AVDs, and 4. Quality of life scale based on Flanagan. To analyze the data, we will use simple descriptive statistics. This study was approved by the Committee of Ethics in Research of the College of Medicine of Fluminense Federal University, under protocol 128.921, CAAE register 04826812.4.0000.5243, according to Resolution 196, from 1996, written by the Brazilian National Council of Health, under Item IV, which describes Free and Clear Consent Agreement. The results in this study will be used only for scientific purposes. The data collection approach will imply direct contact with the patients and relatives and observation of the subjects involved in this study.

REFERENCES

1. Battagin AM, Canineu PR. Avaliação da capacidade funcional e sintomas depressivos após cirurgia cardíaca. Mundo Saúde [ Internet ] 2008 Apr [ cited 2012 Sept 9 ] 32(2): 189-97. Available from: http://www.scamilo.edu.br/pdf/mundo_saude/59/189a197.pdf

2. Camacho ACLF, Coelho MJ. Políticas Públicas de Saúde do Idoso: Revisão Sistemática. Rev Bras Enferm [ Internet ] 2010 Mar [ cited 2012 Sept 9 ] 63 (2): 279-84. Available from: http://www.scielo.br/pdf/reben/v63n2/17.pdf

3. Abreu AM, Oliveira BGRB. Study of Unna boot compared to use of elastic bandage in patients with venous ulcers – clinical Trial. Online braz j nurs [ Internet ]. 2011 [ cited 2012 set 9 ] 10 (3). Available from: http://www.objnursing.uff.br/index.php/nursing/article/view/3311

Details of the Project: Dissertation final project of the Academic Master in Sciences of Health Care – UFF.
Tutor: Prof. Dr. Alessandra Conceição Leite Funchal Camacho
Approval by the Committee of Ethics in Research: 128.921 CAAE Registry 04826812.4.0000.5243
Financial support: not available.
Address for correspondence: Rua Antônio José dos Santos LT 11 Qd 04, São José de Imbassaí-Maricá, RJ, Brazil. CEP: 24900-000. Email: enf_recsantos@yahoo.com.br

Received: 05/02/2013
Revised: 26/06/2013
Approved: 27/06/2013