Assessment of diabetic foot risk among diabetic patients in a tertiary care hospital, South India

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Foot problems are most common among patients with diabetes, and they are an important cause of morbidity in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). They can be prevented by following a simple foot care practice. The study objective was to stratify the level of risk for diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) among patients with diabetes by screening. MATERIALS And METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was adopted in this study. The sample size was 196, and a standardized INLOW'S 60-s diabetic foot screening tool was used to assess the risk of diabetic foot. Data collection was done by face-to-face interview, and diabetic foot risk (DFR) was assessed by direct observation, inspection, and palpation methods. RESULTS: Among the 196 patients, majority required yearly foot screen in both feet. The mean and standard deviation of the level of DFR in the left foot (LF) and right foot (RF) was 4.31 ± 2.267 and 4.51 ± 2.391, respectively. There was a statistically significant association between the practice of treatment and level of foot screening recommendation in the LF with Chi-square value of χ 2 = 8.20 ( df = 2) and RF with Chi-square value of χ 2 = 7.95 ( df = 2) at P < 0.05 level. CONCLUSION: Health-care providers should be made aware of the regular practice of screening the foot of diabetic patients along with health education awareness programs. It may be helpful to identify the foot ulcer risk at an early stage. It will prevent further complications of DFU and recurrence of ulcer and will reduce the economic burden to patients and their family members and the health-care system.

Assessment of predictors of diabetic foot ulcers in a tertiary care hospital of Maharashtra, India: A cross-sectional comparative study

“…Studies found in the study among DFUs majority of the participants were unaware regarding the foot care practice. [ 4 13 ] This study also confirmed better foot care practices among DWFUs.…”

“…Dr Akila et al . [ 4 ] in 2020 assessed the diabetic foot risk among 196 diabetes patients. Fifty seven percent of the patients were in the age group 40-60 years.…”

“…The risk factors include elderly age more than 50 years, longer duration of diabetes, history of smoking, male gender, rural area of residence, insulin use, and early onset of other microvascular complication such as diabetic neuropathy and nephropathy etc. [ 4 5 6 7 ] Most of the studies have assessed the diabetic risk through application of validated scales like INLOW’S 60-s diabetic foot screening tool. [ 8 ] Most of the researches focus on immediate inherent risk factors like peripheral arterial disease or loss of protective sensation.…”

Validities and Reliabilities of Screening for Diabetic Foot Ulcer (DFU) among Diabetes Mellitus Patients with and without DFU

“…One possible explanation is that the instrument tool was easy and uncomplicated to use as well as having a manual provided. The reliability depends primarily on good standardization (Woldemariam et al, 2020) and instructions being easy to understand (Akila et al, 2021). Another possible explanation is that the risk factors were objective which influenced reliable scores or outcomes.…”

Diabetic Foot Assessment and Care: Barriers and Facilitators in a Cross-Sectional Study in Bangalore, India

“…Poverty and lack of education lead to the usage of inappropriate footwear and late presentation of foot lesions. [7]. Hence this study is an effort in closing the gap in knowledge of the barriers and facilitators specific to Indian population.…”