[Compression in vascular pathology. Practical applications]. / La contention en pathologie vasculaire. Applications pratiques.

A better use of the methods of compression in vascular disease would be based on a progression of the available techniques: fixed compression, elastic bandages, elastic stockings, so that one can pass from one degree to another, but only in the direction indicated, except in the case of regression of the disease, when treatment of the previous stage would be required. One should never replace elastic stockings by elastic bandages except in the case of regression, nor the bandage by the boot, except when the bandage fails. On the other hand, a favourable clinical evolution means that the boot can be replaced by the bandage, the bandage by the stocking, or directly from the boot to the stocking. The optimal choice of the method of compression is made from this progressive range on the basis of the evaluation of the severity of the vascular disorders.

[Sclerotherapy in postphlebitic disease]. / La sclérothérapie dans la maladie post-phlébitique.

Sclerotherapy can be used for the postphlebitic syndrome as long as two important precautions are observed. First, the inflammatory phase must be resolved, usually taking one year for thromboplhebitis of the deep venous system and six months for that of the superficial venous system. Secondly, always begin progressively with small, doses, after having initially tested the effect of the sclerosing agent on a secondary vein.

[Errors in sclerosing treatment]. / Les abus du traitement sclérosant.

Mistakes in sclerotherapy are always caused by faulty initial examination. Sometimes examination fails to prove the source of the reflux, which may not be where it is commonly located. Uncertain examination information leads one to take steps which may be recurrent and dangerous. More often, one forgets to look for the source of reflux and the treatment is carried out indefinitely, based on visible symptoms, which recur because there has been no prior elimination of the responsible trunk. There is only one remedy: thorough examination of the patient in upright position, and then the decision to stick confidently to the results of this examination, without other considerations.