RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To assess feelings of powerlessness and hope for cure in patients with chronic venous leg ulcers (VLUs) and diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). METHOD: A clinical, analytical, descriptive study was conducted from April to September 2012 in a wound-care clinic in Brazil, on consecutive patients presenting withVLUs and DFUs. The Powerlessness AssessmentTool for Adult Patients (PAT) and the Herth Hope Index (HHI) were used.Total PAT scores range 12-60 and the higher the score, the stronger the feelings of powerlessness. The HHI ranges 12-48, with higher scores indicating higher levels of hope RESULTS: In total, 80 consecutive patients were recruited (40 VLU and 40 DFU). Mean PAT score was 53.3 +/- 9.6 (range 21-60) for DFU patients and 34.3 +/- 7.7 (range 21-60; p = 0.001) forVLU patients, suggesting these individuals had strong feelings of powerlessness. The mean HHI was 16.5 +/- 16.5 (range 12-40) for DFU patients and 27.5 +/- 27.5 (range 12-40; p = 0.001) for patients with VLUs, indicating low levels of hope. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that patients with DFUs had stronger feelings of powerlessness regarding their condition and less hope of recovery compared with patients with VLUs.
