[Diabetic foot syndrome in clinical practice. I. A model of a Diabetic Foot Consulting Unit]. / Zesp57ol stopy cukrzycowej w praktyce klinicznej. I. Model Gabinetu Stopy Cukrzycowej.

Complex pathogenesis of the foot syndrome involving a number of body system and tissues provided us with grounds for making multispecialistic assessment of its severity. Also a decision about the type and intensity of procedure should be multispecialistic. An interdisciplinary team consists of a diabetologist, diabetic educator, podiatrist, kinesitherapist, orthopedist, general and vascular surgeon and a consultant from manufacturing corrective shoes. The make-up of the team implies that the procedure includes education, metabolic normalization of diabetes mellitus, orthopedic correction, possible surgical intervention and rehabilitation. Results discussed in part II of the study indicate the effectiveness of such approach.

[Diabetic foot syndrome in clinical practice. II. Results after one year at the Diabetic Foot Consulting Unit]. / Zespól stopy cukrzycowej w praktyce klinicznej II. Wyniki rocznej dzialalnosci Gabinetu Stopy Cukrzycowej.

The study included 46 patients with the diabetic foot syndrome and ulcerations, and 40 patients with high-risk foot. Mean duration of hospitalization of the patients with ulcerations was 54 days, mean daily glycemia decreased from 162.5 mg% to 114.9 mg%. Ulcerations were completely healed in 93.5% of patients, whereas high and partial foot amputation was high and 3.2% of patients, respectively. The annual amputation rate was 2.3% in the entire group of diabetic foot patients (86). The present results indicate the necessity for adoption of a multidisciplinary approach to the problem of diabetic foot. It may be added that cooperation in glycemia normalization and patients education may decrease the number of amputations, and hence the degree of physical disability in diabetic foot patients.