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Elevate to Alleviate Evidence Based Study

Conditions
Leg Elevation
Leg Edema
Venous; Return (Anomaly)
Interventions
Other: Elevation of the legs during bed rest
Registration Number
NCT04514939
Lead Sponsor
University of Catanzaro
Brief Summary

Venous return in the circulatory system of lower limbs results from the interaction of several mechanisms, and reflects the balance between blood inflow and outflow. Blood outflow improves during sleeping because of the lying position especially with leg elevation. In fact, patients with chronic venous disease (CVD) improve leg symptoms in lying position and with leg elevation.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the level of comfort of hospital inpatients, without CVD, if they lie with a moderate leg elevation during hospital stay.

Detailed Description

The venous system makes the blood return to the heart with low-pressure and slow-velocity flow, within the venous system. Venous return results from the interaction of diverse mechanisms, such a central pump (respiratory cycle and the heart), a pressure gradient, a peripheral venous muscular pump, and the veins valvular system. Therefore, the venous volume in the lower limb is the result of the interaction between these mechanisms and reflects the balance between blood inflow and outflow. Blood outflow improves during sleeping because of the lying position and, in this position, even more with leg elevation. In fact, it is known patients with chronic venous disease (CVD) improve leg symptoms in lying position and with leg elevation.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the level of comfort of hospital inpatients, without CVD, if they lie with a moderate leg elevation during hospital stay.

Unselected patients with a hospital stay of at least seven days will be recruited and random assigned to two groups of patients: Group A, that will lie in their hospital bed with a moderate leg elevation (between 15 and 30 degrees). Group B, that will lie in their hospital bed without leg elevation.

All patients will undergo echo duplex scanning of vascular system of lower limbs to exclude any vascular disease.

For every patient complete demographic and comorbidity data will be collected. Every single the day, the following parameters will be retrieved for each patient: ankle and calf diameters, heart rate, blood pressure, breath frequency, body temperature, leg heaviness (rating scale 1-10), perceived leg comfort (rating scale 1-10), hours of night sleep (number).

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
UNKNOWN
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
100
Inclusion Criteria
  • Every hospital inpatient with at least 7 hospital stay.
Exclusion Criteria
  • Patients with vascular or osteoarticular leg problems that affect or prevent leg elevation during rest.

Study & Design

Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Study Design
Not specified
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Group A - Leg elevationElevation of the legs during bed restPatients will lie in their hospital bed with a moderate leg elevation (between 15 and 30 degrees)
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Legs heaviness evaluationat 6 months

Every Morning Each patient will comunicate his/her perception of legs heaviness using a rating scale (1-10: 1 is absence of heaviness and 10 is high heaviness)

Perceived leg comfort evaluationat 6 months

Every Morning Each patient will comunicate his/her perception of legs heaviness using a rating scale (1-10: 1 is minimum comfort and 10 is maximum comfort)

Ankle and calf diameters measurementat 6 months

Every Morning Ankle and calf diameters will be measured in centimeters.

Hours of night sleepat 6 months

Every Morning Each patient will comunicate the number of hours slept

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro

🇮🇹

Catanzaro, Italy

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