Clinical, Pathological and Microbiological Evaluation of Diabetic Foot Syndrome

Abstract

Background and objectives: Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is one of the serious complications of diabetes, being related to frequent and long-term hospitalisation, reduced quality of life of the patient, amputations, a high rate of morbidity and mortality. The bacterial aetiology is complex, sometimes involving more than one pathogen, playing a major role in the infection prognosis and development of microbial resistance. This study evaluated the current state of the aetiology, clinical and pathological characteristics of DFU in a single diabetes centre in order to provide some specific measures to prevent it. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was conducted on patients with diabetes mellitus (252 individuals diagnosed with DFU) between January 2018–December 2019. All participants were assessed based on their clinical characteristics, including complications of diabetes and pathological and microbiological evaluations. Results: The present research revealed that diabetic foot ulcer prevalence was higher in males than in females and higher in type 2 diabetic patients than in type 1 diabetic patients. The patients with diabetic foot ulcer were older, had a higher body mass index (BMI), longer diabetic duration and had more diabetic complications, such as retinopathy, diabetic polyneuropathy and diabetic kidney disease, than patients without diabetic foot ulceration. Conclusions: Taking into account all factors involved, including the aetiology and the antibiotic susceptibility pattern of these isolates, planning the suitable treatment options of patients is possible.

Pattern and type of amputation and mortality rate associated with diabetic foot in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: A retrospective Cohort Study

“…Similar to the findings of other studies, there was a predominance of men over women in the present study [ 13 ]. It is possible that women have superior diabetic foot awareness, knowledge, and attitudes than men; they have also been found to be less susceptible to diabetic foot according to a cross-sectional study in Saudi Arabia [ 15 ].…”

“…The mean age of the participants in this study was 63 years, which is consistent with that found in other studies from different countries [ 12 , 13 ]. In contrast, a mean age of 56 years was found in multicenter observational studies in two different countries (from India and Nigeria) [ 11 , 14 ].…”

Psychometric Validation of the Cardiff Wound Impact Schedule Questionnaire in a Spanish Population with Diabetic Foot Ulcer

“…2 Inter-item Pearson's correlations. 3,4 Experience and stress item correlations are summated. 5 Improved from 0.729 to 0.743 if the third item for this subscale is deleted.…”

“…Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is an important complication of diabetes, with an incidence rate of 1-4% and a lifetime risk of 15-25% [1,2]. This condition is defined as an ulceration of the foot associated with diabetic neuropathy which show any grade of ischemia and infection [3]. Moreover, this diabetic complication is often associated with other serious complications such as osteomyelitis and lower limb amputation [2].…”

“…The five-year mortality rate among patients with DFU is around 40%, with a 2.5 times higher risk of mortality in comparison with patients without DFU [4]. The pathogenesis of DFU involves multiple factors, such as peripheral neuropathy, artery disease, traumas and foot deformities, as well as abnormal joints [3]. Additionally, a recent meta-analysis about the global epidemiology of DFU demonstrated that subjects with DFU were older, had lower body mass index, longer diabetes duration, and showed higher frequency of hypertension, diabetic retinopathy, and smoking habit in comparison with those without DFU [5].…”