Elastic stocking-induced foot necrosis in a patient with severe pneumonia.

Elastic stockings (ES) are widely used for the prevention of venous thromboembolism. Here we report a case of foot ulcers induced by ES in patients with pneumonia and hypoxia. A 94-year-old woman was admitted for the treatment of pneumonia. The patient had been wearing an ES because of a history of deep vein thrombosis of the leg. Multiple foot ulcers occurred within 24 hours after the admission despite the absence of peripheral arterial occlusive disease. The ulcers took almost 5 months to heal. For patients with hypoxia, ES may further deteriorate local tissue hypoxia and thus should be used carefully.