Diabetic Foot Ulcers
In India about 7 crores people have Diabetes and the number is projected to rise to
12.5 crores by 2040. Prevalence of Diabetes has doubled in the last 10 years in India and
India is also called as Diabetes capital because of its everyday increasing cases of
Diabetes.
Among all Diabetic patients, almost 10 -15% develop Diabetic foot problems and up
to 4-6% of patients require amputation (minor or major). A foot is lost to Diabetes
somewhere in the world every 30 seconds.
Most Diabetic amputations start with ulcers and almost 85% amputations can be
prevented with proper management, good foot care and screening to assess the risk
for foot complications.
How Diabetes can affect my feet???
Infection: Any small cut or blister or ulcer is more prone to infection in Diabetic
patients.
Diabetic Neuropathy: Over few years in Diabetes, touch sensation in foot decreases
and foot becomes numb and insensitive. It can lead to increased risk to injury, cuts or
blister formation without pain and it can get easily infected due to diabetes.
Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD)/Ischemia: Diabetes also leads to calcium
deposition (Atherosclerotic Changes) in to blood vessels, particularly in heart and
lower limbs and thus reducing blood flow to feet which further hampers the healing of
foot ulcers.
How to Prevent Diabetic Foot Ulcer???
- Diabetic Foot wears
- Periodic Foot Check up for Neuropathy & Ischemia
- Proper Glycemic control
- Patient Education
- Do not ignore any injury/crack /blister/swelling/ulcer over leg or foot
How to take foot care for people with Diabetes at home???
- Inspect your feet daily, including are between the toes
- Wash the feet daily with water at room temperature and dry it especially
between the toes - Use moisturization lotion for dry skin, but not between the toes
- Avoid injury to toes while cutting/trimming nails
- Do not try to remove corn or callus at home
- Always wear socks (preferably cotton) with foot wear
- Avoid walking barefoot at all times
- Ensure a qualified healthcare provider/Doctor examines your feet regularly
- Do not ignore any injury/crack /blister/swelling/ulcer over leg or foot and
consult your Vascular surgeon or Diabetologist
When you should contact your Doctor???
- Changes in foot/leg skin color
- Changes in skin temperature
- Swelling in the foot, ankle or leg
- Pain in the leg, foot
- Ingrown toenails or infected toenails
- Corns or calluses
- Unusual persistent foot odor/smell
- Ulcer, wound over foot or leg
Services & Advanced Treatment available at OUR CENTRE:
- Screening for Diabetic foot and assessment of Diabetic neuropathy and blood
supply to foot. - Treatment of various kind of Diabetic foot ulcers.
- Peripheral angioplasty for limb ischemia where blockage in blood vessels are
opened with small puncture using balloons and wires. - Prevention of complications of diabetes through periodic maintenance, care of
corns, calluses and follow-up care of ulcerations. - Treatment of any kind of chronic non-healing arterial, venous or neuropathic
ulcers. - Diabetic foot-wear – regular and offloading footweras
- Prevention of lower limb Amputations
Peripheral (Tibial) Angioplasty for Ischemia:
Angioplasty is a treatment for blockage
in blood vessels, where blockages are opened with small puncture using balloons and
wires.
Advantages
- Done under local anesthesia, thus avoids complications of anesthesia,
particularly in old patients - It is an advanced treatment, which avoids bypass surgery
- Avoids prolong stay in hospital
Advanced wound care Dressing Products:
- Hydrocolloids and Alginate Dressings
- Various foam dressings for trophic ulcer
- Silver impregnated dressings for infective ulcers
- Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) for faster healing of wounds
Diabetic footwear:
As prevention is better than cure and Diabetic feet wear is a
first step in prevention of Diabetic foot ulcers.
