Local wound care in diabetic foot complications

PREVIEW

Every year, 7 or 8 of every 1,000 Americans who have diabetes undergo amputation of a foot. The rate may be twice as high in African Americans as in whites and even higher in Hispanic and Native Americans. In all diabetic patients, the rate of amputation increases with age and duration of the disease. Clearly, attentive and rigorous care is needed in these patients. In this article, Dr Muha summarizes risk factors for foot complications and describes comprehensive evaluation of foot ulcers. He also discusses the several objectives of successful treatment (eg, pressure reduction, wound closure) and how to achieve them.