Associations between specialty care and improved outcomes among patients with diabetic foot ulcers.

OBJECTIVE: Specialty care may improve diabetic foot ulcer outcomes. Medically underserved populations receive less specialty care. We aimed to determine the association between specialty care and ulcer progression, major amputation, or death. If a beneficial association is found, increasing access to specialty care might help advance health equity. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed a cohort of Wisconsin and Illinois Medicare patients with diabetic foot ulcers (n = 55,409), stratified by ulcer severity (i.e., early stage, osteomyelitis, or gangrene). Within each stratum, we constructed Kaplan-Meier curves for event-free survival, defining events as: ulcer progression, major amputation, or death. Patients were grouped based on whether they received specialty care from at least one of six disciplines: endocrinology, infectious disease, orthopedic surgery, plastic surgery, podiatry, and vascular surgery. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard models estimated the association between specialty care and event-free survival, adjusting for sociodemographic factors and comorbidities, and stratifying on ulcer severity. RESULTS: Patients who received specialty care had longer event-free survival compared to those who did not (log-rank p<0.001 for all ulcer severity strata). After adjusting, receipt of specialty care, compared to never, remained associated with improved outcomes for all ulcer severities (early stage adjusted hazard ratio 0.34, 95% CI 0.33-0.35, p<0.001; osteomyelitis aHR 0.22, 95% CI 0.20-0.23, p<0.001; gangrene aHR 0.22, 95% CI 0.20-0.24, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Specialty care was associated with longer event-free survivals for patients with diabetic foot ulcers. Increased, equitable access to specialty care might improve diabetic foot ulcer outcomes and disparities.

Wearable sensors-based postural analysis and fall risk assessment among patients with diabetic foot neuropathy.

AIMS: To investigate the cross-sectional association between deep and superficial diabetic neuropathy, postural impairment assessed by wearable inertial sensors, and the risk of fall among patients with diabetic foot. METHODS: Diabetic patients attending a University Podiatric Clinic were evaluated for the presence of deep and superficial peripheral neuropathy in sensory tests. Postural impairment was assessed using a wearable inertial sensor, and the evaluation of balance/gait and risk of fall was determined by the Tinetti Scale and Downton Index, respectively. Glycemic control was measured by glycated haemoglobin concentration and fasting glycaemia. The postural parameters measured were the anteroposterior and medio-lateral sway of the center of mass (CoM) and the sway area (area traveled by the CoM per second). The results were analyzed through a logistic regression model to assess those posture variables mostly significantly associated with neuropathy and risk of fall scales. RESULTS: A total of 85 patients were evaluated. Spearman's rank correlation coefficients showed a strong and significant relationship (p < 0.05) between deep diabetic neuropathy assessed by Semmes-Weinstein monofilament, diapason and biothensiometer and postural alterations, whereas no significant correlations between superficial (painful sensitivity) neuropathy and the postural parameters. The sway path of the displacement along the anterior-posterior axis recorded during tests performed with eyes open and feet close together were significantly (p < 0.05) correlated with a poor glycemic (glycated haemoglobin concentration) control and each other with all diabetic neuropathy tests, fall risk scales, muscular weakness, ankle joint limitation and history of ulcers. CONCLUSIONS: The results support the existence of a strong association between alterations of the deep somato-sensitive pathway (although depending on the tool used to measure peripheral neuropathy), glycemic control and balance impairments assessed using a wearable sensors. Wearable-based postural analysis might be part of the clinical assessment that enables the detection of balance impairments and the risk of fall in diabetic patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Histopathological assessment of a two-stage reconstructive procedure of the infected Charcot foot.

INTRODUCTION: Charcot neuropathic osteoarthropathy (CN) can be complicated by osteomyelitis (OM). Surgery is a standard procedure to treat OM including debridement and interposition of antibiotic-loaded cement (ABLC) spacer. The course of CN and OM was investigated on a histopathological level. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Diabetic patients (n = 15) suffering from CN and midfoot OM underwent surgical debridement and interposition of ABLC was interposed. 6 weeks later, ABLC was removed and bone samples were taken again. Histopathological Charcot Score (HCS), Histopathological Osteomyelitis Evaluation Score (HOES) and microbiological assessment were used to evaluate osteomyelitic and neuroosteoarthropathic activity at both time points. RESULTS: Interposition of ABLC leads to microbiological/histopathological eradication of OM in 73%/87% of patients. CN activity-measured by HCS-could be reduced from moderate to low activity by ABLC spacer and correlated with HOES. CONCLUSIONS: CN activity could be reduced by surgery. It can be suggested that neuroosteoarthropathic activity measured by HCS is triggered by OM.

Current knowledge of morbidities and direct costs related to diabetic foot disorders: a literature review.

Diabetes is a chronic disease associated with numerous complications including diabetic foot disorders, which are associated with significant morbidity and mortality as well as high costs. The costs associated with diabetic foot disorders comprise those linked to care (direct) and loss of productivity and poor quality of life (indirect). Due to the constant increase in diabetes prevalence, it is expected that diabetic foot disorder will require more resources, both in terms of caregivers and economically. We reviewed findings on management, morbidity, mortality, and costs related to diabetic foot disorder.

Asociación entre el índice de amputación por pie diabético y los indicadores de atención y manejo de diabetes mellitus tipo 2 en los Centros de Salud del Servicio Metropolitano Oriente, entre 2014 y 2018 / Association between the diabetic foot amputation index and metabolic compensation in diabetes mellitus

BACKGROUND: Diabetic foot amputation is a public health challenge due to the increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). Although there are many health indicators aimed at the management and control of T2D and its complications, amputations persist. Aim: To evaluate the association between diabetic foot amputation index and indicators of care and management of T2D in primary care centers of the eastern section of Santiago, Chile. MATERIAL AND MATHODS: We conducted a mixed ecological study and included information from the Monthly Statistical report of different public health centers from 2014 to 2018. We also analyzed the hospital discharge records from an individual tertiary public health center. The annual index for diabetic foot amputation per 100,000 diabetic patients was used as a response variable. The diabetic compensation percentage was calculated as the proportion of adults with a glycosylated hemoglobin below 7% or the proportion of older people with a value below 8%. The diabetic decompensation percentage was calculated as the proportion of people with a glycosylated hemoglobin over 9%. RESULTS: A high variability in demographic and management indicators was observed between communes and centers in the study period. Bivariate analysis showed a significant correlation between the amputation index, decompensation, and insulin use. In a regression analysis, the amputation index was significantly associated with the diabetic compensation percentage (β = -3.5; p < 0.05) and a high decompensation percentage (β = 12.3; p < 0.005). Conclusions: The diabetic foot amputation index was associated with diabetic compensation and decompensation indicators.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy as an adjunct to the standard wound care for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers in Indian patients: a cost utility analysis.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is a common complication of diabetes. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is an adjunct treatment that expedites the healing of DFU. AIM: To evaluate the cost-utility of using standard wound care (SWC) plus HBOT as compared to SWC alone for the treatment of DFU from a societal perspective in the Indian context. METHOD: A Markov decision analysis model comparing SWC with and without HBOT was developed. Data for the model were derived from relevant literature and secondary data from India. The main outcome measures were minor and major lower extremity amputations (LEA) averted, incremental quality-adjusted-life-years (QALY) gained, incremental costs, incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) per amputation averted and ICER per QALY gained. Sensitivity and threshold analyses were also done. RESULT: HBOT, when added to SWC, lowered the proportion of minor LEA and major LEA among patients with DFU by 6.1% and 4.2%, respectively. The discounted ICER was INR 193,939 [95% CI: 186,745-203,753] or US$ 2,621 [95% CI: 2,524-2,753] per QALY gained. CONCLUSION: SWC plus HBOT is not cost-effective in India. Additional information is required on patient experiences with adjunctive HBOT, if it were to be adopted as the standard of care in India.

Caracterización y resultados del manejo de úlceras en pie diabético en una institución terciaria / Characterization and results of the management of diabetic foot ulcers in a tertiary institution

Antecedentes: La diabetes mellitus causa complica- ciones importantes, entre estas el pie diabético que se asocia a mayor riesgo de morbilidad y mortalidad. Objetivo: Describir las características y resultados del manejo de úlceras en pacientes con pie diabético de una institución terciaria. Métodos: Estudio retrospectivo descriptivo, llevado a cabo en Hospital de Especia- lidades, Instituto Hondureño de Seguridad Social, abril 2018-abril 2020. Se revisaron expedientes clínicos de pacientes con diag- nóstico de pie diabético. Resultados: La edad promedio de los pacientes fue 62.9 años, con una desviación estándar (DE) (+/- 10.8); de predominio masculino 77.5% (55/71). Un 79.0% (56/71) tenía antecedentes de más de 10 años de diagnóstico de diabe- tes mellitus tipo II. Según clasificación de Wagner fue Grado 3 en 50.7% (36/71). El 69.0% (49/71) presentaron una úlcera en región plantar pie izquierdo. El manejo fue con apósitos impregnados con solución de factor de crecimiento epidérmico y aceite ozonizado en 43.7% (31/71); los antibióticos administrados fueron clindamicina 71.8% (51/71) y ceftriaxone 55.7% (41/71). El número de desbrida- mientos fue entre 1-2 en 49.3% (35/71) y el número de curaciones realizadas entre 6-10 en 38.0% (27/71). El resultado terapéutico fue cierre total de la úlcera en 33.8% (24/71) y las complicaciones (amputación/infección) se presentaron en 16.9% (12/71). No se reportó mortalidad. Discusión: El paciente con diagnóstico de pie diabético es manejado en la institución con desbridamientos, cu- raciones y antibioticoterapia, logrando cierre total de la ulceración en un tercio de los casos, algunos casos se complican y finalizan en amputación, similares resultados reportado por otros autores...(AU)

[Association between the diabetic foot amputation index and metabolic compensation in diabetes mellitus]. / Asociación entre el índice de amputación por pie diabético y los indicadores de atención y manejo de diabetes mellitus tipo 2 en los Centros de Salud del Servicio Metropolitano Oriente, entre 2014 y 2018.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic foot amputation is a public health challenge due to the increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). Although there are many health indicators aimed at the management and control of T2D and its complications, amputations persist. AIM: To evaluate the association between diabetic foot amputation index and indicators of care and management of T2D in primary care centers of the eastern section of Santiago, Chile. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted a mixed ecological study and included information from the Monthly Statistical report of different public health centers from 2014 to 2018. We also analyzed the hospital discharge records from an individual tertiary public health center. The annual index for diabetic foot amputation per 100,000 diabetic patients was used as a response variable. The diabetic compensation percentage was calculated as the proportion of adults with a glycosylated hemoglobin below 7% or the proportion of older people with a value below 8%. The diabetic decompensation percentage was calculated as the proportion of people with a glycosylated hemoglobin over 9%. RESULTS: A high variability in demographic and management indicators was observed between communes and centers in the study period. Bivariate analysis showed a significant correlation between the amputation index, decompensation, and insulin use. In a regression analysis, the amputation index was significantly associated with the diabetic compensation percentage (ß = -3.5; p < 0.05) and a high decompensation percentage (ß = 12.3; p < 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: The diabetic foot amputation index was associated with diabetic compensation and decompensation indicators.

Hospital admission for type 2 diabetes mellitus under the Universal Coverage Scheme in Thailand: A time- and geographical-trend analysis, 2009-2016.

BACKGROUND: Descriptive analyses of 2009-2016 were performed using the data of the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) which covers nearly 70 percent of the Thai population. The analyses described the time and geographical trends of nationwide admission rates of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its complications, including chronic kidney disease (CKD), myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular diseases, retinopathy, cataract, and diabetic foot amputation. METHODS AND FINDINGS: The database of T2DM patients aged 15-100 years who were admitted between 2009 and 2016 under the UCS and that of the UCS population were retrieved for the analyses. The admitted cases of T2DM were extracted from the database using disease codes of principal and secondary diagnoses defined by the International Classification of Diseases 9th and 10th Revisions. The T2DM admission rates in 2009-2016 were the number of admissions divided by the number of the UCS population. The standardized admission rates (SARs)were further estimated in contrast to the expected number of admissions considering age and sex composition of the UCS population in each region. A linearly increased trend was found in T2DM admission rates from 2009 to 2016. Female admission rates were persistently higher than that of males. In 2016, an increase in the T2DM admission rates was observed among the older ages relative to that in 2009. Although the SARs of T2DM were generally higher in Bangkok and central regions in 2009, except that with CKD and foot amputation which had higher trends in northeastern regions, the geographical inequalities were fairly reduced by 2016. CONCLUSION: Admission rates of T2DM and its major complications increased in Thailand from 2009 to 2016. Although the overall geographical inequalities in the SARs of T2DM were reduced in the country, further efforts are required to improve the health system and policies focusing on risk factors and regions to manage the increasing T2DM.

Predictive values of foot plantar pressure assessment in patients with midfoot deformity secondary to Charcot neuroarthropathy.

AIMS: The principal aim of this study was to identify a cut-off point along the spectrum of peak plantar midfoot pressure that has an optimum combination of sensitivity and specificity to screen for neuropathic ulceration in patients with Charcot neuroarthropathy (CN). METHODS: A 1-year outcome study was performed in twenty-five patients with diabetes, affected with chronic CN midfoot deformity. Peak plantar pressure (PPP) and pressure/time Integral (PTI) in the midfoot region were registered. For selecting the optimal diagnostic cut-off points on the scale of pressure measurement, ROC curves were used. RESULTS: Twelve (48%) patients developed a plantar midfoot ulcer. Baseline PPP (24.04 ± 6.33 Vs. 12.85 ± 3.29 N/cm2) and PTI (11.89 ± 4.60 Vs. 5.42 ± 2.26 N/cm2/s) were significantly higher in the ulcerated group (p < .001 and p < .001, respectively). Using ROC analyses, optimal cut-off point for PPP was 16.45 N/cm2, yielding a sensitivity of 92% and a specificity of 85%; and for PTI, optimal cut-off point was 7.2 N/cm2/s, yielding a sensitivity of 92% and a specificity of 77%. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with CN midfoot deformity with cut-off values for PPP of 16.45 N/cm2 and PTI of 7.2 N/cm2/s showed an elevated risk of neuropathic ulceration in the plantar area of the midfoot.

Development of the Diabetic Wound Assessment Learning Tool (DiWALT) and validity evidence.

OBJECTIVE: Diabetic foot wounds account for up to one-third of diabetes-related health care expenditure and are the greatest cause of extremity amputation in Canada. Physicians encounter patients with such wounds in all specialties, particularly as generalists in medical wards and emergency departments. However, there is a dearth of literature on the optimal way to teach and to assess the management of these patients. Given the importance of assessment for learning in the shift toward competency-based medical education, we aimed to develop an assessment tool and to build validity evidence for its use in this context. METHODS: A consensus process involving nine Canadian experts in diabetic wound management was used to develop the Diabetic Wound Assessment Learning Tool (DiWALT) items and two 10-minute simulation-based testing scenarios. The simulators used were modified from commercially available models to serve the testing scenarios. Validity evidence for the DiWALT was subsequently evaluated by assessing 24 physician participants' performance during the two scenarios. All participants were novices (<50 cases managed). Two assessors independently rated participants using the DiWALT. Evidence was organized using Kane's validity framework and included Cronbach α for interitem consistency as well as test-retest and inter-rater reliability using the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). RESULTS: Cronbach α was 0.92, implying high internal consistency. Test-retest reliability was also excellent with ICC of 0.89 (confidence interval [CI], 0.76-0.95) for single measures and ICC of 0.94 (CI, 0.86-0.98) for average measures. Inter-rater reliability was fair for single measures with ICC of 0.68 (CI, 0.65-0.71) and good for average measures with ICC of 0.81 (CI, 0.79-0.83). CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that the DiWALT consistently and reliably evaluates competence in diabetic wound management during simulated cases using a small, homogeneous sample of physicians. Further work is necessary to quantify sources of error in the assessment scores, to establish validity evidence when it is used to assess larger and more heterogeneous participants, and to identify how well the DiWALT differentiates between different experience levels.

Novel FEMASK-score, a histopathologic assessment for destructive Charcot neuropathic arthropathy, reveals intraneural vasculopathy and correlates with progression and best treatment.

BACKGROUND: Charcot neuropathic arthropathy is a debilitating, rapidly destructive degenerative joint disease that occurs in diabetic, neuropathic midfoot. Clinicoradiologic assessment for Charcot neuropathic arthropathy previously relied on Eichenholtz stage. There is limited histopathologic data on this entity. We wanted to independently develop a histopathologic scoring system for Charcot neuropathic arthropathy. DESIGN: Retrieval of surgical pathology midfoot specimens from Charcot patients (2012-2019) were analyzed to evaluate joint soft tissue and bone. Considering progression from large (≥half 40× hpf) to small (

Economic evaluations considering costs and outcomes of diabetic foot ulcer infections: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is a severe complication of diabetes and particularly susceptible to infection. DFU infection intervention efficacy is declining due to antimicrobial resistance and a systematic review of economic evaluations considering their economic feasibility is timely and required. AIM: To obtain and critically appraise all available full economic evaluations jointly considering costs and outcomes of infected DFUs. METHODS: A literature search was conducted across MedLine, CINAHL, Scopus and Cochrane Database seeking evaluations published from inception to 2019 using specific key concepts. Eligibility criteria were defined to guide study selection. Articles were identified by screening of titles and abstracts, followed by a full-text review before inclusion. We identified 352 papers that report economic analysis of the costs and outcomes of interventions aimed at diabetic foot ulcer infections. Key characteristics of eligible economic evaluations were extracted, and their quality assessed against the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards (CHEERS) checklist. RESULTS: 542 records were screened and 39 full-texts assessed for eligibility. A total of 19 papers were included in the final analysis. All studies except one identified cost-saving or cost-effective interventions. The evaluations included in the final analysis were so heterogeneous that comparison of them was not possible. All studies were of "excellent", "very good" or "good" quality when assessed against the CHEERS checklist. CONCLUSIONS: Consistent identification of cost-effective and cost-saving interventions may help to reduce the DFU healthcare burden. Future research should involve clinical implementation of interventions with parallel economic evaluation rather than model-based evaluations.

Assessment and management of pain during dressing change in patients with diabetic foot ulcers: a best practice implementation project.

INTRODUCTION: Pain caused by dressing change has adverse effects on patients with a diabetic foot ulcer, including sleep disturbances, immobility, depression and anxiety. It is crucial that healthcare professionals use a standardized tool to assess and document pain during dressing change and then use this information to inform strategies to alleviate the pain. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this project was to implement evidence-based practice in assessment and management of pain during dressing change among patients with diabetic foot ulcers in an endocrinology unit in a tertiary hospital. METHODS: The JBI Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System (JBI PACES) and Getting Research into Practice (GRiP) audit and feedback tool were used for auditing clinical practice and translating evidence into practice. A baseline audit was performed to assess compliance with six criteria, followed by the implementation of evidence-based interventions to improve compliance. The follow-up audit using the same audit criteria was conducted to assess the effect of targeted strategies on compliance with best practice. RESULTS: The baseline audit revealed that compliance with evidence-based practice was low, with only one of the six audit criteria achieving a compliance rate above 60%. After brainstorming and synthesizing the literature, the project team identified barriers and strategies for implementing best practice. The follow-up audit showed improvements in compliance across all six criteria, although there was only a small improvement in one of the criteria. The compliance rate of the other five criteria improved to greater than 67%. CONCLUSION: A best practice implementation project that involved standardizing pain assessment and management, and delivering education materials to nursing staff and patients was completed using JBI PACES and GRiP. The project improved nurses' compliance with best practice. Nurses attach importance to relieving patients' pain when they perform wound care, while patients with a diabetic foot ulcer gain access to high-quality wound care. Future studies will be conducted to address new barriers that emerged during the follow-up audit.

Diabetic Foot Syndrome in the Twenty-First Century.

Diabetes mellitus is an international epidemic. In the United States, the prevalence of diabetes has increased from estimates in 1990 when 6.5% of the population was affected and 6.2 million people had diabetes compared with the estimates in 2017 with 24.7 million people with diabetes or accounting 9.6% of the adult population. The diabetic foot syndrome manifests as a combination of diabetes-related diseases including diabetic sensory neuropathy, limited joint mobility, immunopathy, peripheral arterial disease, foot ulceration, and Charcot arthropathy. The culmination of these provides an ideal environment for unrecognized tissue injury that leads to ulceration, infection, infection, and amputation.

Digital Deformity Assessment Prior to Percutaneous Flexor Tenotomy for Managing Diabetic Foot Ulcers on the Toes.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of digital deformities in patients with diabetes mellitus according to the McGlamry classification and relate the types of digital deformities with the history of digital ulcer. A cross-sectional study was performed in the diabetic foot unit between September 2016 and September 2017. All consecutive patients were classified by digital deformities according to the McGlamry classification (flexor stabilization, flexor substitution, and extensor substitution) using slow-motion videos. In all patients, the Foot Posture Index 6 was performed and previous toe ulceration, toe calluses, and nail dystrophy were evaluated. A total of 142 feet were evaluated, in which 29 (20.27%) feet did not show dynamic deformities, 65 (57.5%) were classified as flexor stabilization, 9 (8%) as flexor substitution, and 39 (34.5%) as extensor substitution. In total, 23% the feet with previous ulcer were classified as extensor substitution. A previous toe ulcer on the tip (p = .033; confidence interval [CI] 1.06 to 4.99; odds ratio [OR] 2.3), pronated foot according to the Foot Posture Index 6 (p = .048; 95% CI 0.9 to 8.9; OR 2.9), and callus on the tip (p = .002; 95% CI 1.47 to 6.41; OR 3.07) were associated with flexor stabilization deformities. Flexor stabilization, associated with the pronated foot, was the most prevalent dynamic deformity. Extensor substitution was present in approximately 40% of the patients and in 20% of the patients with previous ulcer, in whom flexor tenotomy could aggravate the digital deformity. An evaluation of dynamic deformities during gait should be included as a presurgical assessment to achieve successful surgical results.

Current health and economic burden of chronic diabetic osteomyelitis.

INTRODUCTION: Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) prevalence is as high as 25% and 40-80% of DFUs become infected (DFI). About 20% of infected ulcers will spread to bone causing diabetic foot osteomyelitis (DFO). DFU costs Medicare $9-13 billion/year. The most expensive costs associated with DFU are inpatient costs and hospital admissions. DFO costs are driven mostly by surgical procedures. DFU patients have a 3-year cumulative mortality rate of 28% and rates approaching 50% in amputated patients. AREAS COVERED: This review will summarize the current health and economic burden of DFO covering management, epidemiology, and copious costs associated with DFO. The review began by searching PubMed and Cochrane databases for various terms including, 'diabetic osteomyelitis costs,' 'diabetic foot infection,' and 'diabetes and antibiotics.' Additionally, references from retrieved publications were reviewed. The global burden of DFU calls for investigating new therapeutic options. EXPERT OPINION: For DFI, anti-biofilm agents have had success because they directly deliver antimicrobials to the infection site. For DFO, intraosseous (I/O) antibiotic therapy similarly bypasses the issue of vascular disease, will likely have improved therapeutic efficacy, and reduced costs for DFO patients. I/O antibiotic therapy has had clinical success in one case report already, and may significantly improve the lives of those afflicted with DFO.

Recognizing Common Skin and Soft Tissue Infections in the Nephrology Clinic.

Renal failure patients have an increased risk of infection, including skin and soft tissue infections. This increased susceptibility is multifactorial, due to the conditions causing the renal failure as well as complications of treatment and renal failure's innate effects on patient health. These infections have a significant impact on patient morbidity, increased hospital and procedural demands, and the cost of health care. Many renal failure patients are seen regularly by their nephrology clinic caregivers due to the need for frequent dialysis and transplant monitoring. Familiarity with common skin and soft tissue infections by these caregivers allowing enhanced patient education, optimal infection prevention, and early recognition could significantly reduce the morbidity and cost of these disorders, such as diabetic foot syndrome, necrotizing fasciitis, and herpetic infections.

Excess Cost and Healthcare Resources Associated With Delayed Diagnosis of Charcot Foot.

The purpose of the present study was to demonstrate the effect of a delayed diagnosis of Charcot foot on acute care cost and usage. We used International Classification of Disease, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes, and the California Office for Statewide Health Planning and Development 2009 to 2012 public patient discharge files to identify patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and Charcot foot. The costs and length of stay were compared for those with a diagnosis of Charcot foot on admission compared with those who received a delayed diagnosis of Charcot foot before discharge. Patient demographic data, diagnoses often mistaken for Charcot foot, and procedures often performed for Charcot foot were assessed to determine the potential effect on costs and length of stay in Charcot foot subjects. A delayed Charcot foot diagnosis was associated with 10.8% greater inpatient costs and 12.1% longer length of stay. These patients required greater resource usage owing to the significantly greater number of procedures performed. A significantly greater number of patients underwent lower extremity amputation when the diagnosis was delayed, resulting in a 30.4% increase in costs and 31.6% longer length of stay. A greater rate of diabetic foot ulcers, foot infections, and osteomyelitis was also observed; however, the cost was only affected by osteomyelitis, and the length of stay was not significantly affected. A delayed diagnosis of Charcot foot at admission resulted in significantly increased acute care costs and longer lengths of stay.