Treatment of resistant venous stasis ulcers and dermatitis with the end-diastolic pneumatic compression boot.

The end-diastolic pneumatic compression boot was used to treat 17 patients with difficult or refractory stasis dermatitis and ulcers. Decreases in induration, pigmentation, and palpable thrombi were observed and all patients were improved or healed. The boot treatment allowed effective local administration of antibiotics on gauze wrappings. Removal of the latter after treatments provided a means of nonsurgical debridement. Healing was maintained by periodic outpatient boot treatments in patients with close followup. Ulcers recurred in patients lost to followup but responded again to boot treatment. One diabetic man with knee contractures and both severe venous and arterial disease relapsed repetitively and lost both legs in spite of bilateral femoral-popliteal bypasses and his boot treatments.