Practice variationPractice variations occur for two main reasons:●There is no agreed best practice, so practitioners must choose what they believe to be the most appropriate treatment;●Best practice has been agreed but not all practitioners are aware of it.An audit carried out in Essex in 1995 found that no fewer than 278treatment variations were used to treat 331 patients with leg ulcers. This was largely because of the large number of different dressings and bandages available. Not surprisingly, the audit concluded that a more standardised approach needed to be developed.