TY - JOUR AU - Iglesias, C AU - Nelson, EA AU - Cullum, NA AU - Torgerson, DJ J2 - Health Technol Assess JO - Health Technol Assess TI - VenUS1: a randomised controlled trial of two types of bandage for treating venous leg ulcers PY - 2004 VL - 8 IS - 29 DO - 10.3310/hta8290 DA - 2004/07/20 UR - http://journalslibrary.nihr.ac.uk/hta/hta8290 AB - Objectives: To compare the clinical and cost-effectiveness of two different compression bandages for the healing of venous leg ulcers. To compare the clinical and cost-effectiveness of two different compression bandages for the healing of venous leg ulcers. Design: A pragmatic, randomised controlled trial with an economic evaluation. A pragmatic, randomised controlled trial with an economic evaluation. Setting: Community, district nurse-led services; community leg ulcer clinics; hospital leg ulcer clinics with community outreach. A range of urban and rural settings in England and Scotland. Community, district nurse-led services; community leg ulcer clinics; hospital leg ulcer clinics with community outreach. A range of urban and rural settings in England and Scotland. Participants: Patients with a venous leg ulcer of at least 1-week's duration, at least 1 cm in length or width and an ankle:brachial pressure index of at least 0.8. Patients with a venous leg ulcer of at least 1-week's duration, at least 1 cm in length or width and an ankle:brachial pressure index of at least 0.8. Interventions: The four-layer bandage (4LB) (which is multilayer elastic compression) compared with the short-stretch bandage (SSB) (multilayer, inelastic compression). The four-layer bandage (4LB) (which is multilayer elastic compression) compared with the short-stretch bandage (SSB) (multilayer, inelastic compression). Main outcome measures: The primary end-point was complete healing of all the ulcers on the trial leg. Secondary outcomes were the proportion of patients healed at 12 and 24 weeks, rate of recurrence, costs of leg ulcer treatment and quality of life. The primary end-point was complete healing of all the ulcers on the trial leg. Secondary outcomes were the proportion of patients healed at 12 and 24 weeks, rate of recurrence, costs of leg ulcer treatment and quality of life. Results: Between April 1999 and December 2000 the trial recruited 387 people aged from 23 to 97 years at trial entry. The majority of patients in this trial (82%; 316/387) had a reference ulcer of area