Osteomyelitis, diabetic foot ulcers and the role of the community nurse

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (Sup6) ◽  
pp. S6-S9
Author(s):  
Melanie Lumbers

Community nurses face numerous challenges in both diagnosing and effectively treating their patients. The diabetic patient has complex needs requiring a holistic approach. With a reported increase in diabetic patients, and a possible decline in some routine screening following Covid-19 pandemic, complications in diabetic patients are likely to rise. It is estimated that 25% of diabetic patients will develop a diabetic foot ulcer (DFU), with a reported 43% of DFU already infected at first presentation to a health professional. NICE categorise the level of infection in DFU based on standardised assessments such as SINBAD. A high categorised DFU has the possibility of osteomyelitis. It is imperative that osteomyelitis is treated immediately to achieve positive outcomes, benefitting the patients' health and wellbeing in addition to reducing the financial implications to the NHS.

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (7) ◽  
pp. 2548 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chinmay Gandhi ◽  
Prameyratna Kadam ◽  
Venkateswarlu Kamepalli ◽  
Yugantara Kadam

Background: Diabetic foot ulcer is the commonest cause of hospitalization in diabetic patients. Amputation is one of its dreaded complications, which deteriorates quality of life and increases mortality. Most of amputations are preventable and it is essential to define standard and efficient approach to treat diabetic foot ulcer in a timely manner. The first step is to define correct grade of diabetic foot ulcer and its risk of developing complications. Aim was to assess the outcome of treatment of diabetic foot ulcer with the given PEDIS score and to find the role of PEDIS score in predicting the outcome.Methods: This is a prospective cohort study. PEDIS score was calculated after all variables were categorized for a give patient and documented. PEDIS score was recorded for each patient. Patients followed up for 6 months and outcome was categorized as healed, unhealed, amputed, or death. Study was carried out till adequate sample size was achieved.Results: High PEDIS score in diabetic foot ulcer was associated with peripheral neuropathy. Adverse outcome like amputation and unhealed ulcer were more seen with high PEDIS score. All amputed patients were having high PEDIS score.Conclusions: PEDIS score is more useful in clinical practice for diabetic foot ulcer grading and can be uniformly applied to compare outcome all over the world.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1495
Author(s):  
Yu-Chi Wang ◽  
Hsiao-Chen Lee ◽  
Chien-Lin Chen ◽  
Ming-Chun Kuo ◽  
Savitha Ramachandran ◽  
...  

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are a serious complication in diabetic patients and lead to high morbidity and mortality. Numerous dressings have been developed to facilitate wound healing of DFUs. This study investigated the wound healing efficacy of silver-releasing foam dressings versus silver-containing cream in managing outpatients with DFUs. Sixty patients with Wagner Grade 1 to 2 DFUs were recruited. The treatment group received silver-releasing foam dressing (Biatain® Ag Non-Adhesive Foam dressing; Coloplast, Humlebaek, Denmark). The control group received 1% silver sulfadiazine (SSD) cream. The ulcer area in the silver foam group was significantly reduced compared with that in the SSD group after four weeks of treatment (silver foam group: 76.43 ± 7.41%, SSD group: 27.00 ± 4.95%, p < 0.001). The weekly wound healing rate in the silver foam group was superior to the SSD group during the first three weeks of treatment (p < 0.05). The silver-releasing foam dressing is more effective than SSD in promoting wound healing of DFUs. The effect is more pronounced in the initial three weeks of the treatment. Thus, silver-releasing foam could be an effective wound dressing for DFUs, mainly in the early period of wound management.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1879 (2) ◽  
pp. 022012
Author(s):  
Furqan Naeem Al-Karawi ◽  
Naji Al-Hasnawiand Abeer Thaher ◽  
Thekra Abd Jebur Al-Kashwan

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tesfamichael G. Mariam ◽  
Abebaw Alemayehu ◽  
Eleni Tesfaye ◽  
Worku Mequannt ◽  
Kiber Temesgen ◽  
...  

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder which is characterized by multiple long-term complications that affect almost every system in the body. Foot ulcers are one of the main complications of diabetes mellitus. However, there is limited evidence on the occurrence of foot ulcer and influencing factors in Ethiopia. An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Gondar University Hospital, Ethiopia, to investigate foot ulcer occurrence in diabetic patients. Systematic random sampling was used to select 279 study participants. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression model was fitted to identify factors associated with diabetic foot ulcer. Odds ratio with 95% confidence interval was computed to determine the level of significance. Diabetic foot ulcer was found to be 13.6%. Rural residence [AOR = 2.57; 95% CI: 1.42, 5.93], type II diabetes mellitus [AOR = 2.58; 95% CI: 1.22, 6.45], overweight [AOR = 2.12; 95% CI: 1.15, 3.10], obesity [AOR = 2.65; 95% CI: 1.25, 5.83], poor foot self-care practice [AOR = 2.52; 95% CI: 1.21, 6.53], and neuropathy [AOR = 21.76; 95% CI: 8.43, 57.47] were factors associated with diabetic foot ulcer. Diabetic foot ulcer was found to be high. Provision of special emphasis for rural residence, decreasing excessive weight gain, managing neuropathy, and promoting foot self-care practice would decrease diabetic foot ulcer.


2008 ◽  
Vol 15 (01) ◽  
pp. 153-161
Author(s):  
MUHAMMAD SAEED AKHTAR ◽  
MAQSOOD AHMAD ◽  
MUHAMMAD BADAR BASHIR ◽  
Muhammad Irfan ◽  
Zahid Yasin Hashmie

Objective: (1) To evaluate the effects of G-CSF in eliminating infection in diabetic foot wound (2) Tocompare the effects with conventional diabetic foot management. Design: Prospective, open, randomized comparativestudy. Setting: Medical&Surgical Department of Allied, DHQ Hospital & Nawaz Medicare Faisalabad. Period: FromJan 2000 to Nov 2000 Patients & Methods: Fifty diabetic patients with foot infections were included in this study. Themean age was 52 years ranging from 27 to 60 years. They were divided into two equal groups(Group A and Group B).Results: The male patients were 41(82%) and female 9(18%). Forty six percent of patients were on oral hypoglycaemicdrugs, and 54% on insulin. The trauma preceding infection was 20%, Peripheral neuropathy 94% and peripheralvascular disease 34%. Thirty two percent of patients were smoker. Group A were subjected to G-CSF ( Neupogen )therapy (n=25) subcutanously daily for 5days in addition to conventional measures. Whereas patients in Group Breceived only conventional therapy. Both groups received similar antibiotic and insulin treatment. G-CSF therapy wasassociated with earlier eradication of pathogens from the infected ulcer (median 5 [range 2-11] vs11 [6-31] days in thegroup B; (p=<O.000I), quicker resolution of cellulitis (6 vs l4 days; p<O.0001), shorter hospital stay (8 vsl6 days;p<O.000l), and a shorter duration of intravenous antibiotic treatment (7 vs l4 days ;p—0.0001).No G-CSF treatedpatient needed surgery, whereas three patients in group B underwent toe amputation and six had extensivedebridement under anaesthesia (p=0.00 1). G-CSF therapy was generally well tolerated. Conclusion: Granulocytecolony stimulating factor (G-CSF) may be used as a good adjuvant therapy along with conventional measures for themanagement of diabetic foot infection, as it promotes the healing of diabetic foot ulcer/cellulitis and consequentlyprevents many hazardous complications like amputation of limbs, long hospital stays, extensive and prolonged antibioticuse and last but not the least the total misery of the patients.


2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 858-863 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aimei Zhong ◽  
Gongchi Li ◽  
Dan Wang ◽  
Yi Sun ◽  
Xinghua Zou ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Vol 110 (3) ◽  
pp. 104-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Zhang Ming Lim ◽  
Natasha Su Lynn Ng ◽  
Cecil Thomas

The rising prevalence of diabetes estimated at 3.6 million people in the UK represents a major public health and socioeconomic burden to our National Health Service. Diabetes and its associated complications are of a growing concern. Diabetes-related foot complications have been identified as the single most common cause of morbidity among diabetic patients. The complicating factor of underlying peripheral vascular disease renders the majority of diabetic foot ulcers asymptomatic until latter evidence of non-healing ulcers become evident. Therefore, preventative strategies including annual diabetic foot screening and diabetic foot care interventions facilitated through a multidisciplinary team have been implemented to enable early identification of diabetic patients at high risk of diabetic foot complications. The National Diabetes Foot Care Audit reported significant variability and deficiencies of care throughout England and Wales, with emphasis on change in the structure of healthcare provision and commissioning, improvement of patient education and availability of healthcare access, and emphasis on preventative strategies to reduce morbidities and mortality of this debilitating disease. This review article aims to summarise major risk factors contributing to the development of diabetic foot ulcers. It also considers the key evidence-based strategies towards preventing diabetic foot ulcer. We discuss tools used in risk stratification and classifications of foot ulcer.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Susan Thomas ◽  
Yuan-Xiang Meng ◽  
Vijaykumar G. Patel ◽  
Gregory Strayhorn

Background. Acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM) is a less-common form of melanoma in US, and it accounts for about 5% of all diagnosed melanomas in US. ALM is often overlooked until it is well advanced because of the lesion’s location and its atypical appearance in the early stages. We present a case of ALM initially presented as a diabetic foot ulcer.Case Report. An 81-year-old man initially presented to the primary care clinic with a right foot diabetic ulcer. There was a large plantar, dark-colored ulcer that bled easy. Initial excision biopsy revealed Clark’s Level IV ALM. Subsequent definitive wide excision and sentinel node biopsy confirmed ALM with metastasis to inguinal lymph nodes (stage IIIb). The treatment included wide margin excision of the lesion with en bloc amputations of 4th and 5th toes, followed by adjuvant chemotherapy.Discussion. The development of ALM may potentially relate to diabetes as a reported higher prevalence of diabetes with ALM patients.Conclusion. The difficulty in early diagnosing of ALM remains as a formidable challenge particularly in diabetic patients who commonly develop plantar foot ulcers due to the diabetic neuropathy. This case reiterates the importance of a thorough foot exam in such patients.


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