Prevention and early detection of venous insufficiency from the community pharmacy.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.60103/phc.v28.e932Keywords:
Chronic Venous Insufficiency; Community Pharmacy Services; Mass Screening; Health Education; Venous Return.Abstract
Introduction: Venous return is an essential physiological process that allows the transport of blood from the peripheral circulation to the heart. Light rheography is a useful non-invasive tool for early screening in primary care. The aim of this study is to detect the presence of venous return abnormalities in the lower extremities in a community pharmacy using light reflection rheography.
Method: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with an opportunistic sample collected in two settings. Venous return was assessed using light reflection rheography to determine venous filling time in both lower extremities.
Results: This study evaluates venous return abnormalities in pharmacy patients and their relationship with risk factors. Fifty-one patients were included, with a mean age of 60.6 ± 14.7 years, mostly women. The mean venous refill time was 31.2 ± 11.6 seconds in the right leg and 31.9 ± 10.8 seconds in the left, with the majority within the normal range; 25.5% presented abnormalities. A significant association with family history was identified.
Conclusions: Light reflection rheography proved useful as a non-invasive early detection tool in the community pharmacy setting, allowing the detection of venous return abnormalities and facilitating early referral of patients with suspected venous insufficiency.
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