Abstract

BATISTA PEREZ, Yaqueline; TAMAYO MORENO, Esperanza  and  GONZALEZ EXPOSITO, Armando. Insuficiencia arterial crónica: Análisis epidemiológico en el servicio de angiología y cirugía vascular, 1995-1996. Rev Cubana Enfermer [online]. 1997, vol.13, n.2, pp.72-79. ISSN 0864-0319.

A retrospective study of the medical records of 74 patients from the Service of angiology and Vascular Surgery of "Vladimir Ilich Lenin" hospital was conducted. All patients were diagnosed as having chronic arterial failure in the lower limbs during August 1995-1996. This entity accounts for 5 to 10 % of beds occupied in the service; that's why the role of the nurse is so important in this service. Among the objectives that motivated us to conduct this study are: to contribute to enhance the scientific and technical level of the nursing staff in the management and care of patients presenting with vascular diseases; to identify the behaviour of this disease and its importance related to Epidemiology; to determine the most frequent causes that may result in this disease and its clinical manifestations, and finally to identify the most employed treatment modality. From the casuistics studied different variables were analyzed such as age, sex, area of residence, risk factors, etiology, clinical manifestations, treatment received by patients, most frequent complications, average hospital saty and the result obtained after hospital discharge. The percentual method was used. The highest incidence was evidenced for the age group of 61-70 years with 28.38 %, and males were more affected with 81.08 %. In urban areas, 91.90 % of patients presenting with this disease was detected. The prevailing risk factor was smoking habit accounting for 51.35 % of cases, obliterant atherosclerosis is the most frequent cause accounting for 68.92 %. The predominant clinical manifestation is claudication with 55.45 %. Medical treatment was the most used method with 56.76 %, with only 8.10 % of complications. The average hospital stay was 26 days, and 95.95 % of patients improved afeter hospital discharge.

Keywords : ARTERIAL OCCLUSIVE DISEASES [epidemiology]; ARTERIAL OCCLUSIVE DISEASES [nursing]; RISK FACTORS; MEDICAL RECORDS; LEG [blood supply]; RETROSPECTIVE STUDIES.