Reminder of the poor outcomes for foot care in diabetes

In this study - a prospective cohort of 291 patients managed to current evidence-based guidelines in French hospitals - the authors concluded:

"Most of the wounds were located on the toes and forefoot, and infection was most often graded as moderate; nevertheless, in about 50% of patients, osteomyelitis was suspected. Also, 87% of patients had peripheral neuropathy and 50-62% had peripheral artery disease. Gram-positive cocci, and Staphylococcus aureus in particular, were by far the most frequently isolated microorganisms. During hospitalization, lower-limb amputation was performed in 35% of patients; in 52%, the wound healed or had a favourable outcome. A year after discharge, 150 non-amputated patients were examined: at this time, 19% had to undergo amputation, whereas 79% had healed their wounds with no relapse. Risk factors for amputation were location (toes), severity of the wound and presence of osteomyelitis. Peripheral artery disease was associated with a poor prognosis, yet was very often neglected.

In spite of being managed at specialized centres that were, in general, following the agreed-upon published guidelines, the prognosis for diabetic foot infection remains poor, with a high rate (48%) of lower-limb amputation."

1. Richard J-L, Lavigne J-P, Got I, Hartemann A, Malgrange D, Tsirtsikolou D, Baleydier A, Senneville E. Management of patients hospitalized for diabetic foot infection: results of the French OPIDIA study. Diabetes Metab. 2011 Jun;37(3):208-215. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21169044