Quality of life and clinical correlates in patients with diabetic foot ulcers.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the Health Related Quality of Life (HRQL) of French diabetic patients with and without foot ulcers and to determine the factors influencing disease-specific HRQL for those with foot ulcers. METHODS: 355 diabetic patients, including 239 with foot ulcers (group 1) and 116 without foot ulcers (group 2) were studied in a cross-sectional setting. Socio-demographic and clinical variables were recorded and HRQL was evaluated using a generic HRQL questionnaire (SF-36) for all subjects. For group 1, the severity of foot ulcers was assessed according to Wagner's classification, and disease-specific HRQL assessed using the Diabetes Foot Ulcer Scale (DFS). RESULTS: HRQL was found to be significantly lower (P = 0.0001) in group 1 than in group 2 for all domains of the SF-36. Independent inverse relationships were found between good HRQL in the DFS domain of Leisure and Wagner grade (OR = 0.136 [0.029-0.467]) as well as the number of foot ulcers (OR = 0.365 [0.191-0.678]). Age was significantly associated with several DFS domains including Daily Activities, Physical Health and Dependence. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that the number and severity of foot ulcers are associated with patient HRQL, especially in terms of leisure activity disruption and constraints due to treatment. These findings have implications for the evaluation, planning and management of patient care in diabetic foot disease.

An economic evaluation of the cost of diabetic foot ulcers: results of a retrospective study on 239 patients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the cost of foot ulcers in diabetic patients. METHODS: Retrospective pharmacoeconomic study using direct and indirect costs (sick leave days) from the perspective of French social security system. RESULTS: 239 patients were included in the study by 80 physicians who treat diabetic patients suffering from foot ulcers. Initially identified by telephone survey, these physicians were primarily endocrinologists/diabetologists, general practitioners and surgeons. Average monthly costs in the treatment of foot ulcers were 697 euro; for outpatient care, 1556.20 euro; for hospital care (day treatment and short stays), and 34.76 euro; for sick leaves. When hospitalization was required, it represented approximately 70% of the average cost for foot ulcers. The portion of outpatient costs was principally generated by medical and paramedical treatments, and interventions carried out by healthcare personnel. On the other hand, medication only represented 10% of total costs. The initial severity of the pathology was a determinant clinical factor of high healthcare costs. In addition, the more recent the lesion was, the higher the cost of treatment. Amputation and follow-up by specialists were correlated to high costs as well, a logical result of these clinical factors. CONCLUSION: This analysis is the first to evaluate the cost of treating foot ulcers in such a large population of diabetic patients. The economic outcomes should help direct public authorities in their choices, particularly as regards the interest of treating these diabetes-related complications as early as possible.

[Evolution of medical practice in the care of anemia amd the use of erythropoietin in chronic renal insufficiency hemodialysis in the past six years]. / Evolution des pratiques médicales dans la prise en charge de l'anémie et la prescription d'érythropoïétine chez les insuffisants rénaux chroniques hémodialysés au cours des six dernières années.

In order to analyze changes in anemia management in the hemodialysis patients, a retrospective survey was performed in 1999 on a representative French sample of patients in hemodialysis treated by EPO since 1992, 1994, 1996, and 1998 respectively. 368 patients were enrolled in 97 centres. At treatment initiation, some patients characteristics have significantly changed: the percentage of type 2 diabetic patients has increased marquedly from 4.5% in 1992 to 22.1% in 1998. The mean time lag between dialysis and EPO treatment initiation has decreased from 3.3 years to 0.9 on the 6-year period. Lastly, the mean hemoglobin level has increased from 73.7 to 78.5 g/l. No significant evolution in the EPO protocol was observed at the initiation as well as in the maintenance phase. An average percentage of 33.7% of patients were treated in i.v. route at initiation with a mean posology of 105.2 IU/kg (respectively 91.4 in s.c.). In the first year of follow-up, the overall mean posology was 84 IU/kg. In conclusion, this survey suggests that anemia management has been optimized over the last 6 years follow-up, including an earlier initiation of EPO treatment and a higher target of hemoglobin while EPO needs were reduced in the same time.