Doença falciforme: trajetória de pessoas com úlcera da perna nos Serviços de Atenção à Saúde

Abstract

Introduction: leg ulcers represent one of the complications of sickle cell disease, affecting mainly men with sickle cell disease (HbSS) in their twenties. They are painful and recalcitrant, and once healed have high recurrence rates. Their progressive and chronic character has physical, psychosocial and emotional consequences. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of sickle cell disease leg ulcers disease and to find factors associated with their occurrence, as well as to analyze the attention people with such ulcers receive from health services. Method: transversal study based on a census of all haemocenters in Minas Gerais. 72 persons aged 18 or more with leg ulcers in Minas Gerais (cases) were located. For each case data was collected from two persons with sickle cell disease who had no ulcers (controls). Sociodemographic, clinical and behavioral variables were analyzed, as well as others associate with the attention people with ulcers get from the Health Systems. Data was analyzed with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS, version 19.0, Chicago, IL, USA). Results: the prevalence of leg ulcers was estimated as 1.4%. Among the cases, 59.7% had only one ulcer; the median duration of ulcers was 3 years and 77,8% were recidivates. Medical doctors were the main prescribers of topical medication (45.8%), collagenase being the main prescription (22.2%). Among the cases, 66.7% performed the treatment at home and 40.3% bought their dressing change materials; 86,1% were followed up by hematologists and 41.7% by Primary Health Care. Factors associated to higher occurrence of leg ulcers were previous ulcers (OR = 48.48; IC 95% = 15.31- 153.52), edema in lower limbs (OR = 5.75; IC 95% = 2.66- 12.42), antibiotic use in the previous six months (OR = 3.08; IC 95% = 1.40- 6.77), daily rest (OR = 4.59; IC 95% = 2.18-9.64) and compression hosiery (OR = 6.24; IC 95% = 1.15- 33.83). Overweight (OR = 0.16; IC 95% = 0.04-0.57), physical (OR = 0.33; IC 95% = 0.12- 0.90) and domestic (OR = 0.37; IC 95% = 0.18-0.79) recreation activities were associated to lower occurrence of leg ulcers. Conclusion: The prevalence of leg ulcers of persons with sickle cell disease leg ulcers in Minas Gerais was lower than12 the one found in the literature, both Brazilian and international. The assistance to these persons is fragmented; they have limited access to Primary Health Care and do not get effective treatment from nursing teams. The lack of an effective assistance network may contribute to relapse episodes, long duration and permanence of leg ulcers.