W.A.R. scores in patients with chronic leg ulcers: Results of a multicentre study

Objective: To assess the individual patient's risk of wound infection using the wounds-at-risk (W.A.R.) score developed by a group of interdisciplinary experts. Method: The W.A.R. score is a clinical test in which, based on anamnestic and clinical criteria, wound patients are assigned point values, where a score of ≥3 indicates a need for antimicrobial treatment. Results: :The data of 970 patients (553 women, 417 men) with chronic leg ulcers were evaluated at 10 dermatological wound clinics in different regions within Germany. The age of the patients was between 10 and 100 years (mean of 69.8 years); the duration of the wounds was between 2 months and 68 years (mean of 41.1 months). Wound sizes were between 1 and 736 cm² (mean of 42.8 cm²). Overall, W.A.R. scores of <3 points were found in 26.9% of patients and scores of ≥3 were found in 73.1% of patients. There were significant differences in W.A.R. scores by regions with respect to the bacterial species detected and the aetiologies of the wounds. Conclu...