Diabetes is a growing disease, and is now part of the lives of 422 million people throughout the world.
Spain ranks second in the world and first in Europe as the country with the lowest number of amputations resulting from diabetic foot complications.
It has been estimated that at least 15% of diabetics will suffer foot ulcerations during their lifetime, and it is also estimated that about 85% of diabetics who have had amputations previously had an ulcer.
The main causes by which a diabetic patient ends up developing an ulcer are:
- Loss of feeling in the feet, known as diabetic neuropathy, as a result of nerve damage caused by diabetes. It can cause pain, tingling and insensitivity to painful stimuli, excessive pressure, temperature changes, etc.
- Atrophy and weakness of the muscles in the lower limb, causing foot deformities and increased pressure on specific areas.
- The decrease in vascular blood supply (vasculopathy) suffered by these patients causes chronic ischemia of the lower limb and poor healing of ulcers.
Source: Meditip
It is mainly these three causes that prevent wounds and ulcers from healing successfully, and they may even become infected, thus putting the patient’s life at risk. That is why the prevention of ulcers and infections in the foot of the diabetic patient plays a key role. It is very important that the patient knows and understands the hygiene and hydration procedures to follow and on the use of appropriate footwear.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
- Orthoinfo from the American Academy of Orthopaedic surgeons
- Footcare MD (American orthopaedic foot & ancle society (aofas.org)
- Pie-diabético.net
- Management of type 2 diabetes. New Zealand Guidelines Group; 2003.
- Clinical Guideline. Management of type 2 diabetes: Prevention and management of foot problems. London: National Institute for Clinical Excellence; 2003.
- Singh N, Armstrong DG, Lipsky BA. Preventing foot ulcers in patients with diabetes. JAMA. 2005;293(2):217-28.
- Mayfield JAM, Sugarman JRM. The Use of the Semmes-Weinstein Monofilament and Other Threshold Tests for Preventing Foot Ulceration and Amputation in Persons with Diabetes. Journal of Family Practice. 2000;49(11):S17-S29
- Reiber GE, Smith DG, Wallace C, Sullivan K, Hayes S, Vath C, et al. Effect of therapeutic footwear on foot reulceration in patients with diabetes: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2002;287(19):2552-8.
- NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: “La diabetes y los problemas d elos pies”.
- Busch K, Chantelau E. Effectiveness of a new brand of stock ‘diabetic’ shoes to protect against diabetic foot ulcer relapse. A prospective cohort study. Diabet Med. 2003;20(8):665-9.
- Clínica Universidad de Navarra.
- Cuidados del Pie Diabético – Grupo Quirónsalud.
