Patient/caregiver was educated on risk factors and causes for development of statis dermatitis as follows:
- Individuals with history of venous thrombosis, develop blood clots that can clog the veins, obstruct the drainage of blood in the veins, and lead to back-up of blood. Recurrent episodes of venous thrombosis can result in chronic obstruction to venous drainage and back-up of blood, leading to damage to the veins and leaking of fluid into the surrounding tissues and skin.
- Physical injury or surgery to any body part that interferes with the venous or lymphatic drainage can also result in obstruction to fluid drainage and fluid back-up in that body part. Chronic obstruction to fluid drainage and consequent back-up of fluid result in damage to the vessels and leaking of fluid into the surrounding tissues and skin.
- Heart receives deoxygenated blood from the entire body through the veins, helps with pushing this blood to the lungs, pick oxygen up, and distributes the oxygenated blood again to the entire body. Individuals with poorly functioning heart or congestive heart failure cannot adequately push the blood forward, to the lungs & the body, and often present with back-up of fluid in the veins. Chronic back-up of fluid in the veins result in damage to the veins and leaking of fluid into the surrounding tissues and skin.
- Irrespective to the source, fluid back-up with leakage into surrounding tissues and skin finally result in inflammatory skin changes, such as, redness, local elevation of temperature, swelling of the involved body part with intense stretching of skin, pain, and tenderness.
