Title:Modern Treatment of Infection and Ischaemia to Reduce Major Amputation in the Diabetic Foot
Volume: 19
Issue: 27
Author(s): Michael Edmonds
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Amputation, Foot, Ulcer, Infection.
Abstract: Diabetic patients suffer a high rate of amputation. There are two main reasons; infection which can spread rapidly leading to
overwhelming tissue destruction and severe peripheral arterial disease. Studies that have stratified patients according to the presence or
absence of both peripheral arterial disease and infection have shown significantly worse outcomes in patients with both peripheral arterial
disease and infection. There have been two crucial significant advances in diabetic foot care to improve the outlook of these diabetic patients.
First, there has been the realisation that diabetic foot patients experience repeated crises from the rapid onset infection and need a
special form of easily accessible care within a multidisciplinary diabetic foot service to provide prompt treatment of infection before it
progresses to necrosis. Secondly, within such a service, prompt diagnosis of ischaemia and urgent revascularisation has been established
as a further important aspect of successful management. The critical factor in saving limbs is making a rapid diagnosis of infection and
ischaemia and administering the appropriate treatment early. In this way speedy healing can be achieved and this can prevent patients
from needing amputations.
