Extremit-Ease: Not Your Mother’s Compression Garment

Venous insufficiency is a common condition which results in edema due to elevated pressure within the capillary beds, as well as distention of the capillary beds. Venous insufficiency is often improved in the morning when the patient has been laying down all night, and worsens when the patient is up and the affected limb(s) are dependent. Compression therapy is the mainstay of treatment in venous insufficiency; however, many patients tolerate compression therapy poorly and are often non-compliant. Extremit-Ease™, by AMERX Health Care, is a new compression garment that will greatly simplify the application of compression and will improve patient compliance due to its ease and comfort.

Indications

Extremit-Ease™ can be used to treat mild to moderate swelling of the extremities related to lymphedema, chronic venous insufficiency, acute postoperative swelling and other conditions resulting in swelling.

Contraindications

Extremit-Ease™ should not be used on patients with any of the following conditions:

• congestive heart failure
• deep vein thrombosis/phlebitis
• active skin infection on the area to be compressed
• peripheral artery disease (PAD)
• intermittent claudication
• recent revascularization or stent implant

Amount of Compression

Extremit-Ease™ can provide moderate to high pressure with 30 to 50 mmHg.

Advantages

Extremit-Ease™ provides many advantages over traditional compression wraps and garments:

• ease of application: generally, compression wraps are applied by professionals; however, patients can be easily trained to apply the Extremit-Ease™ garment independently, which means fewer visits to the wound care professional and greater compliance.
• pistoning/slippage: slippage of a compression garment or wrap can cause a tourniquet effect, which may damage the skin and increase swelling above the wrap, as well as causing discomfort to the patient. Extremit-Ease™ greatly reduces the risk of pistoning and slippage. The garment is applied like a sock or boot and is shaped to the foot, preventing movement of the garment once it is secured in place.
• comfort: many patients complain about the discomfort and heat associated with compression wraps, especially multilayer wraps. The Extremit-Ease™ garment is made of a lightweight material which is permeable to the air, thus making the garment far more comfortable to wear and increasing patient compliance.
• cost: because Extremit-Ease™ is a one-time cost layout to purchase, Extremit-Ease may be more cost effective. It negates the need for bandage changes and can be machine laundered for convenience. This reduces both professional time and supply cost.

Extremit-Ease™ by Amerx Health Care offers several advantages over other single or multilayer compression wraps for patients suffering from venous insufficiency and other conditions causing swelling of the lower leg. Its ease of application and comfort will increase patient cooperation with compression therapy, reducing edema faster and allowing venous ulcers to heal more quickly.

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