RESUMO
Diabetes mellitus is an increasing health problem in the Caribbean, and diabetic foot a major cause of morbidity. Rat-bite is also common but under-recognised by physicians. In the presence of peripheral neuropathy, rat-bite during sleep may be felt and the lesions inflicted, usually upon the feet, may be multiple and extensive. A questionnaire survey of 83 patients consecutively attending diabetic clinics was performed to examine the prevalence of rat-bite in relation to peripheral neuropathy, age, treatment and housing conditions. The data were as follows: No history of rat-bite - 72 (87 per cent); Rat-bite within previous 2 years - 6 (7 per cent); Rat-bite more than 2 years before - 5 (6 per cent). There was no significant difference between the groups in age, sex, presence of peripheral neuropathy, form of treatment, type of housing (block or wood), location of house (village or town) or housing conditions as scored by the patients themselves. Rat-bite is an under-recognised cause of foot lesions in diabetics (AU)
