Via practica 5/2024

How to save time and money on a diabetic foot?

Diabetic foot (DF) is a serious late complication of diabetes that is associated with high morbidity and mortality, often leading to lower limb amputation. Major risk factors for DF include neuropathy, infection, and ischemia. If we want to effectively improve the care of patients with DF and reduce the number of amputations, we need to focus especially on prevention. Effective dispensary and the application of preventive care such as suitable shoes and care of the lower extremities can reduce the incidence of ulceration in DF by up to half. The treatment of foot defects in diabetics is expensive, mainly consists in relieving the affected limb, treating infection and ischemia. Local treatment and satisfactory compensation of diabetes must not be neglected either. It is necessary to direct the treatment of DF to podiatric outpatient clinics, to support their new creation and to set up effective control of the quality of their care.

Keywords: diabetes mellitus, diabetic foot, amputation