A 10-YEAR FOLLOW-UP OF PATIENTS PRESENTING WITH ISCHEMIC REST PAIN OFTHE LOWER-LIMBS

Objectives: To determine the 10-year outcome of patients presenting wi th vest pain. Methods: One hundred and three consecutive patients pres enting with ischaemic rest pain in 1987 were followed up after 10 year s. Hospital notes, death certificates and telephone interviews with pa tients were used to determine outcome.Results: Follow-up data is avail able for 97 (94%) patients. Thirteen patients are alive (13.7%) after 10 years, 12 presented with rest pain alone and one had ulceration. Th ree of these had amputation. The commonest cause of death was myocardi al infarction (n = 21, 25%). In those who had died, the median age of onset of symptoms teas 72 years (49-93) for rest pain, 74 years (56-87 ) for ulceration and 71.5 years (45-85) for gangrene. Their survival a fter admission was a mean of 39 months with rest pain, 33 months with ulceration and 42 months with gangrene. The overall 5-year survival wa s 31% and the 10-year survival 13%. Conclusion: Patients presenting wi th ischaemic rest pain have a poor prognosis. The presence ol absence of ulceration or gangrene does not influence the outcome. Most patient s die from smoking-related diseases.