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During my 20-year career as a registered nurse, I have worked in a variety of settings, including district nursing, hospice and secondary care. I have always loved being able to care for patients at the end of life and personally, I have experienced several bereavements of close family members. My own experiences have made me passionate about ensuring we deliver the best care possible for our patients and families in the last year of life and into bereavement.

Malnutrition (or undernutrition) affects at least three million people in the UK (1.3 million are over the age of 65), with 93% of these living in the community (British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition [BAPEN], 2018). Malnutrition has an estimated cost of £19.6 billion in England, with older adults (≥65 years) accounting for over 50% of this cost (Stratton et al, 2018). Malnutrition has adverse effects if unidentified and untreated.

This case series evaluation assessed the efficacy of WoundExpress™ (Huntleigh Healthcare), a novel IPC device, which applies compression to the thigh of the afflicted leg for the management of hard-to-heal leg ulcers. Eleven wound treatment centres or wound care specialists undertook WoundExpress evaluations. Eligible and willing patients (n=61), with a ‘hard-to heal’ leg ulcer used the WoundExpress device for two hours a day, in addition to continuing to receive their standard wound care for a 16-week period. Fifty-three participants completed the evaluations. Thirty-three percent (n=19) of all ulcers healed within the 16-week study period; the mean time to healing was 10 weeks. A further 60% of ulcers (n=35) progressed towards healing within the 16-week period, with a mean surface area reduction of 56% (23cm2). The evaluation concluded that thigh-administered IPC is an effective adjunctive treatment, that aids healing and reduces pain, for patients with hard to heal leg ulcers.