2 Notes on the scope of the guidance

2 Notes on the scope of the guidance

NICE guidelines are developed in accordance with a scope that defines what the guideline will and will not cover.

The guideline covers

  • Adults aged 18 and older.

  • People who present with symptoms of lower limb peripheral arterial disease, including intermittent claudication, ischaemic rest pain, and/or tissue loss.

  • People without symptoms of peripheral arterial disease (for example, those with venous ulceration) who have abnormal ankle brachial pressure index.

  • Subgroups based on ethnicity, socioeconomic factors, age or comorbidities (including people with diabetes), for which differences in management and outcome are identified.

The guideline does not cover

  • Children and young people aged 17 and younger.

  • Adults who have acute ischaemia of the lower limb.

  • Methods of amputation and rehabilitation.

  • Management of diabetic foot problems.

  • Use of topical treatments and dressings.

How this guideline was developed

NICE commissioned the National Clinical Guideline Centre to develop this guideline. The Centre established a Guideline Development Group (see appendix A), which reviewed the evidence and developed the recommendations.

There is more information about how NICE guidelines are developed on the NICE website.

  • National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)