In each issue of JCN we ask a clinical expert to take a look at a therapy area and examine some everyday problems that community nurses may experience. In this issue, we look at venous leg ulceration and associated oedema and ask the question...

How do I reduce foot oedema while healing a leg ulcer?

Leg ulcers and chronic oedema can be complicated to treat, particularly when oedema is present in the the foot and you are trying to apply compression bandaging. We asked Winnie Furlong, the clinical lead for the leg ulcer service, The Princess Alexandra Hospital and West Essex Leg Ulcer Service, to explain the best way to treat venous leg ulceration with associated foot oedema, in response to the implementation of local guidelines.