Five-year mortality in patients with diabetic foot ulcer during 2009-2010 was lower than expected.

AIM: Mortality rates are decreasing in patients with diabetes. However, as this observation also concerns patients with diabetic foot ulcer (DFU), additional data are needed. For this reason, our study evaluated the 5-year mortality rate in patients with DFU during 2009-2010 and identified risk factors associated with mortality. METHODS: Consecutive patients who attended a clinic for new DFU during 2009-2010 were followed until healing and at 1 year. Data on mortality were collected at year 5. Multivariate Cox proportional-hazards model was used to identify mortality risk factors. RESULTS: A total of 347 patients were included: mean age was 65±12 years, diabetes duration was 16 [10; 27] years; 13% were on dialysis; and 7% had an organ transplant. At 5 years, 49 patients (14%) were considered lost to follow-up. Total mortality rate at 5 years was 35%, and 16% in patients with neuropathy. On multivariate analyses, mortality was positively associated with: age [hazard ratio (HR): 1.05 (1.03-1.07), P<0.0001]; duration of diabetes [HR: 1.02 (1.001-1.03], P=0.03]; PEDIS perfusion grade 2 vs. 1 [HR: 2.35 (1.28-4.29), P=0.006)]; PEDIS perfusion grade 3 vs. 1 [HR: 3.14 (1.58-6.24), P=0.001); and ulcer duration at year 1 [HR 2.09 (1.35-3.22), P=0.0009]. CONCLUSION: Mortality rates were not as high as expected despite the large number of comorbidities, suggesting that progress has been made in the health management of these patients. In particular, patients with neuropathic foot ulcer had a survival rate of 84% at 5 years.

Incidence and characteristics of lower limb amputations in people with diabetes.

AIMS: To estimate the incidence, characteristics and potential causes of lower limb amputations in France. METHODS: Admissions with lower limb amputations were extracted from the 2003 French national hospital discharge database, which includes major diagnoses and procedures performed during hospital admissions. For each patient, diabetes was defined by its record in at least one admission with or without lower limb amputation in the 2002-2003 databases. RESULTS: In 2003, 17 551 admissions with lower limb amputation were recorded, involving 15 353 persons, which included 7955 people with diabetes. The crude incidence of lower limb amputation in people with diabetes was 378/100 000 (349/100 000 when excluding traumatic lower limb amputation). The sex and age standardized incidence was 12 times higher in people with than without diabetes (158 vs. 13/100 000). Renal complications and peripheral arterial disease and/or neuropathy were reported in, respectively, 30% and 95% of people with diabetes with lower limb amputation. Traumatic causes (excluding foot contusion) and bone diseases (excluding foot osteomyelitis) were reported in, respectively, 3% and 6% of people with diabetes and lower limb amputation, and were 5 and 13 times more frequent than in people without diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: We provide a first national estimate of lower limb amputation in France. We highlight its major impact on people with diabetes and its close relationship with peripheral arterial disease/neuropathy and renal complications in the national hospital discharge database. We do not suggest the exclusion of traumatic causes when studying the epidemiology of lower limb amputation related to diabetes, as diabetes may contribute to amputation even when the first cause appears to be traumatic.

[Management of a diabetic foot ulcer]. / Conduite à tenir face à une plaie du pied chez un diabétique.

A chronic diabetic foot ulcer requires a search for the etiology. The three main causes to search for are poor off-loading compliance, osteomyelitis, and peripheral vascular disease. The level of severity is measured with the U.T. classification and the level of infection with the classification of the International Consensus on the Diabetic Foot. Peripheral vascular disease must be precisely evaluated by Doppler ultrasound, which describes all the arteries of the lower limb. Angiography is required only in case of revascularization. Treatment of the ulcer includes strict off-loading, topical treatment, optimal treatment of hyperglycemia, and antibiotic therapy on a case-by-case basis for osteomyelitis and/or, angioplasty or by-pass procedures. Osteomyelitis can be treated by associating conservative surgery, antibiotic therapy, and off-loading. No amputation, even of one toe, must be done without a previous vascular check-up. Off-loading of the ulcer must be regularly checked. Poor off-loading compliance must be systematically investigated if the ulcer worsens or healing is delayed.

Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty in severe diabetic foot ischemia: outcomes and prognostic factors.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the outcomes of severe ischemic diabetic foot ulcers for which percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) was considered as the first-line vascular procedure. Factors associated with successful PTA were sought. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: In 32 consecutive diabetic patients with foot ulcers and severe limb ischemia, PTA was performed if feasible; if not, primary bypass grafting was done when feasible. All patients were followed until healing or for at least one year. Patients with worsening ulcers after PTA underwent bypass grafting. Clinical and angiographic factors influencing outcomes after PTA were sought by univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: PTA was done in 25 of the 32 (78%) patients, and considered clinically successful in 13 (52%). After 1 year, the healing rate was 70% and the limb salvage rate 90%. Successful PTA was significantly associated with a higher post-PTA transcutaneous oxygen pressure (P = 0.03) and presence of at least one patent pedal vessel (P = 0.03) in the univariate analysis; only a patent pedal vessel was significant in the multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Primary PTA in diabetic patients with severe ischemic foot ulcers provides similar outcomes to usual results obtained in severe ischemia in absence of diabetes. The presence of one patent pedal vessel on arteriography before PTA is the best prognostic factor.

Treatment of osteomyelitis in the diabetic foot. Contribution of conservative surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the duration of healing of foot ulcers with osteomyelitis in diabetic patients treated by medical treatment versus medical treatment associated with conservative orthopedic surgery. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We entered into the study 67 diabetic patients who had a foot ulcer with osteomyelitis without ischemia requiring a peripheral arterial reconstruction. Thirty-two diabetic patients were included in a first historic group from 1986 to 1993, treated by antibiotic therapy, offloading, and wound care. Thirty-two patients were included from September 1993 to March 1995, treated by the same medical treatment and conservative orthopedic surgery. RESULTS: The healing rate was 57% in the group treated by the medical treatment alone versus 78% in the surgical group (P < 0.008). The duration of healing was 462 +/- 98 days versus 181 +/- 30 days (P < 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: Conservative surgery contributes to an increase in the healing rate of foot ulcers with osteomyelitis compared with a medical treatment alone.

[Role of antibiotic therapy in diabetic foot management]. / Place de l'antibiothérapie dans le traitement du pied diabétique.

Antibiotic therapy is not the most important component in diabetic foot ulcer management which should be based on weight bearing avoidance and arterial revascularization. However antibiotic therapy is necessary in presence of extensive deep involvement or systemic signs of infection. Initial antimicrobial treatment depends on bacteria supposed origin. For patients not coming from hospital, the initial choice antibiotic is an amoxicillin/clavulanate agent because it offers optimal coverage for most pathogens involved in those diabetic foot lesions (gram positive cocci, gram negative and anaerobic organisms). For patients at high risk to be infected with nosocomially acquired pathogens, the initial antibiotic therapy must cover methicillin-resistant staphylococci, resistant pseudomonas aeruginosa or enterobacteriae. In all cases, when definitive reliable cultures are reported, initial antibiotic regimens should be revised to narrow the coverage to specific pathogens. In presence of osteomyelitis, a temporary combination of two agents which are known to reach high bone concentrations is necessary, and antibiotic therapy should be continued for at least two months. In other cases, antibiotic treatment duration depends on clinical out come.

Outcome of severe diabetic foot ulcers after standardised management in a specialised unit.

OBJECTIVE: The primary objective was to evaluate the efficacy in terms of limb salvage and healing time of standardised multidisciplinary management for high-grade diabetic foot ulcers. The secondary objective was to retrospectively identify the factors that influenced time to healing. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Over a 2-year period, 157 patients with diabetic foot ulcers were managed in our specialised unit using a standard treatment strategy; 118 were followed until healing or for at least 7 months (range, 7-29) after hospital discharge and form the basis for this study. Predetermined criteria were used to diagnose and manage the lesions. The number of major amputations and the time to healing were the main outcome measures. Univariable and multivariable analyses were done retrospectively to look for factors associated with time to healing. RESULTS: The limb salvage rate was 97.5% and the healing rate was 50% after 10 months and 70% after 16 months. Factors significantly associated with healing time were arterial disease without bypass surgery (p<0.001) and renal replacement therapy (p<0.05). Osteomyelitis, as managed in this study, did not increase the healing time (p > 0.6). CONCLUSION: In high-grade diabetic foot ulcers, standardised conservative management with second-line bone-sparing surgery, if needed, yields an acceptable limb salvage rate. With combined medical and surgical treatment, osteomyelitis is not a poor prognosis factor.

Efficacy and tolerance of calcium alginate versus vaseline gauze dressings in the treatment of diabetic foot lesions.

BACKGROUND: The study aimed at comparing the efficacy and tolerance of an alginate wound dressing with a vaseline gauze dressing in the treatment of diabetic foot lesions. METHODS: This open-label randomized multicenter controlled study was designed to assess the effect of an up to 6-week treatment with either calcium alginate or vaseline gauze dressings. Lesions were either acute or chronic, under cleansing, and with a surface area of 1-50 cm(2); osteomyelitis and severe hypovascularization were non-inclusion criteria. Dressings were changed every day then, once granulation had occurred, every 2 to 3 days. Primary outcome was the proportion of patients with granulation tissue over 75% of the wound area and having a 40% decrease in wound surface area; secondary outcomes were pain on dressing changes, the number of dressing changes, and adverse events. RESULTS: Seventy-seven patients were enrolled. Due to the premature cessation of treatment in 13 patients, it was decided to reduce the period of the efficacy analysis to 4 weeks (without revising the criteria of efficacy). The success rate was of 42.8% in the calcium alginate group and of 28.5% in the vaseline gauze group (not significant difference). A subsequent analysis of granulation tissue surfaces covering the wounds at week 4 (all surfaces taken together) showed a superiority of calcium alginate (p=0.04). Pain on dressing change was lower in the calcium alginate group (p=0.047) and the total number of dressing changes tended also to be lower (p=0.07). Adverse events, which occurred 4 times in the calcium alginate group and 6 times in the other, were judged independent of the treatments. CONCLUSIONS: As compared with vaseline gauze, calcium alginate appears to be more appropriate for topical treatment of diabetic foot lesions in terms of both healing and tolerance.

Diabetic foot ulcer and multidrug-resistant organisms: risk factors and impact.

AIMS: The primary objective was to characterize factors allowing the colonization of diabetic foot wounds by multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO), and the secondary objective was to evaluate the influence of MDRO colonization/infection on wound healing. METHODS: In 180 patients admitted to a specialized diabetic foot unit, microbiological specimens were taken on admission. Potential risk factors for MDRO-positive specimens were examined using univariate and multivariate analyses. Prospective follow-up data from 75 patients were used to evaluate the influence of MDRO colonization/infection on time to healing. RESULTS: Eighteen per cent of admission specimens were positive for MDRO. MDRO-positive status was not associated with patient characteristics (age, sex, type of diabetes, complications of diabetes), wound duration, or wound type (neuropathic or ischaemic). In the multivariate analysis, the only factors significantly associated with positive MDRO status on admission were a history of previous hospitalization for the same wound (21/32 compared with 48/148; P = 0.0008) or the presence of osteomyelitis (22/32 compared with 71/148; P = 0.025). In the longitudinal study of 75 wounds, MDRO-positive status on admission or during follow-up (6 months at least or until healing, mean 9 +/- 7 months) was not associated with time to healing (P = 0.71). CONCLUSION: MDROs are often present in severe diabetic foot wounds. About one-third of patients with a history of previous hospitalization for the same wound, and 25% of patients with osteomyelitis, had MDRO-positive specimens. This suggests that hygiene measures, or isolation precautions in the case of admission of patients presenting with these characteristics, should be aggressively implemented to prevent cross-transmission. Positive MDRO status is not associated with a longer time to healing.