Telehealth has comparable outcomes to in-person diabetic foot care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has posed obstacles to the delivery of diabetic foot care. In response to this remote healthcare services have been deployed offering monitoring, follow-up, and referral services to patients with diabetic foot ulcers and related conditions. Although, remote diabetic foot care has been studied before the COVID-19 pandemic as an alternative to in-person care, the peculiar situation of the pandemic, which dictates that remote care would be the sole available option for healthcare practitioners and patients, necessitates an evaluation of the relevant knowledge obtained since the beginning of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 outbreak. AIM: To perform a thorough search in PubMed/Medline and Cochrane to identify original records on the topic. METHODS: To identify relevant peer-reviewed publications and gray literature, the authors searched PubMed-MEDLINE and Cochrane Library-Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials starting September 27 till October 31, 2021. The reference lists of the selected sources and relevant systematic reviews were also hand-searched to identify potentially relevant resources. Otherwise, the authors searched Reference Citation Analysis (https://www.referencecitationanalysis.com/). RESULTS: A number of randomized prospective studies, case series, and case reports have shown that the effectiveness of remote care is comparable to in-person care in terms of hospitalizations, amputations, and mortality. The level of satisfaction of patients' receiving this type of care was high. The cost of remote healthcare was not significantly lower than in - person care though. CONCLUSION: It is noteworthy that remote care during the COVID-19 pandemic appeared to be more effective and well - received than remote care in the past. Nevertheless, larger studies spanning over longer time intervals are necessary in order to validate these results and provide additional insights.

Combined antibiotic therapy and patients education in the treatment of diabetic calcaneal osteomyelitis.

Not available.

A Palpable Painless Axillary Mass as the Clinical Manifestation of Castleman's Disease in a Patient with Hepatitis C Disease.

Introduction. Castleman's disease (CD) is a rare lymphoproliferative disorder. CD is divided into two clinical subtypes: the most common unicentric and the less usual multicentric subtype. The majority of unicentric CD affects the mediastinum, while neck, abdomen, and axilla are less common locations. Case Presentation. Herein, we describe a rare case of unicentric CD in the right axilla in a 36-year-old white male with a medical history of hepatitis C virus infection admitted to our hospital due to palpation of a painless mass in the right axilla. Complete excision of the lesion was performed and, one year after the diagnosis, patient was free of the disease. Conclusions. Although infrequent, it is important to include CD in the differential diagnosis when evaluating axillary lymphadenopathy particularly in young patients with a low-grade inflammation process and chronic disease even in the absence of an abnormal blood picture or organomegaly.

The Impact of Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion Therapy on Efficacy and Safety in a Cohort of Type 1 Diabetes Patients: A 3-Year Prospective Study.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have found improved glycemic control with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion compared with multiple daily insulin injections for patients with type 1 diabetes, albeit for a relatively short-period of follow-up. This prospective study presents for the first time the optimization of glycemic control with insulin pumps in a cohort of Greek patients with type 1 diabetes for a 3-year follow-up period during the socioeconomic crisis in Greece. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety-four patients, previously on intensified basal-bolus insulin therapy with poor glycemic control, were initially recruited. Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), hypoglycemic and diabetic ketoacidosis episodes, pump-related side effects, lipidemic profile, 24-h urine albumin excretion, body mass index, blood pressure, and total daily insulin requirements (bolus and basal) were recorded during the 3-year follow-up. Statistical analysis was initially conducted for the entire study population and after body mass index and gender stratification. RESULTS: Seventy-nine patients completed the study. A statistically significant decrease of HbA1c level (P < 0.0001) was observed at the end of Year 1 and was retained for the following years for the whole population. Similarly, significantly fewer hypoglycemic episodes occurred during the follow-up period (P < 0.0001) compared with study entry. Insulin pump treatment was not accompanied with weight changes across all body mass index strata. CONCLUSIONS: Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion achieved almost optimal glycemic control, reduced the number of hypoglycemic episodes without weight gain, and was well tolerated for the whole study period. Finally, this therapeutic approach was accompanied with lower daily insulin requirements.

Manuka honey-impregnated dressings in the treatment of neuropathic diabetic foot ulcers.

In this study, we investigate the effect of manuka honey-impregnated dressings (MHID) on the healing of neuropathic diabetic foot ulcers (NDFU). A total of 63 Caucasians, type 2 diabetic patients followed up in the diabetic foot outpatient clinic comprised the study population. Patients were randomised in two groups as follows: group I patients were treated with MHID and group II patients were treated with conventional dressings (CD). The patients were followed up on a weekly basis for 16 weeks. Mean healing time was 31 ± 4 days in group I versus 43 ± 3 days in group II (P < 0·05). In group I patients 78·13% of ulcers became sterile during the first week versus 35·5% in group II patients; the corresponding percentages for weeks 2, 4 and 6 were 15·62% versus 38·7%, 6·25% versus 12·9% and 0% versus 12·9% respectively. The percent of ulcers healed did not differ significantly between groups (97% for MHID and 90% for CD). MHID represent an effective treatment for NDFU leading to a significant reduction in the time of healing and rapid disinfection of ulcers.