Treatment of Diabetic Foot: How to Care for and Prevent Complications. The treatment of diabetic foot is primarily palliative, focusing on regular therapy and activity limitation. Amputation may become necessary in cases where ulceration is unmanageable. That’s why, at Eternal Medical Center, we advocate for the use of Stem Cells.
Understanding Diabetic Foot
Diabetes can lead to the development of skin lesions and ulcers in 25% of patients. This is due to the impact of diabetic disease on blood vessels, nerves, and epithelial tissue. Moreover, these patients are at high risk of infection due to their underlying condition. Which can result in significant local or systemic complications.
Caring for Diabetic Feet
Effective treatment of diabetic foot requires specialized clinical training and extensive experience in its management. As there are many complex factors to control. Proper management of ulceration, infection, vascular disease, optimal glucose levels, and the use of special off-loading devices are crucial for saving the limb.
Professional Care for Diabetic Feet
Healthcare professionals operate in various areas to heal the wound and prevent its recurrence:
- Clinical Wound Treatment: To facilitate healing.
- Continuous Patient Monitoring: Including remote monitoring to track progress and detect irregularities.
- Foot Support Analysis: To correct gait and prevent new wounds.
- Footwear Assessment: Including the use of special shoes when necessary to prevent new injuries.
- Patient Education: About the risks associated with diabetic feet, guidance on self-care, appropriate footwear, hygiene standards, and overall prevention strategies.
Recommendations by the American Diabetes Association (ADA)
The ADA provides essential recommendations for diabetic foot care:
- Conduct a comprehensive foot evaluation at least once a year to identify ulcer and amputation risk factors.
- All diabetes patients should receive a foot inspection during each visit.
- Gather a history of ulceration. Amputation, Charcot’s foot, angioplasty or vascular surgery, smoking, retinopathy, and kidney disease, as well as assessing current symptoms of neuropathy (pain, burning, numbness) and vascular disease (leg fatigue, claudication).
- The examination should include skin inspection. Assessment of foot deformities, neurological evaluation (10g monofilament test with at least one other evaluation: pinprick, temperature, vibration), and vascular assessment, including pulses in the legs and feet.
- Patients with claudication symptoms or reduced or absent pedal pulses should be referred for ankle-brachial index (ABI) measurement and further vascular assessment as appropriate.
- A multidisciplinary approach is recommended for people with foot ulcers and high-risk feet. E.g., dialysis patients and those with Charcot’s foot, prior ulcers, or amputations.
- Patients who smoke or have a history of prior lower extremity complications, loss of protective sensation, structural abnormalities, or peripheral arterial disease should be referred to foot care specialists for ongoing preventive care and lifelong surveillance.
- Provide general preventive education about foot self-care to all diabetes patients.
- Specialized therapeutic footwear is recommended for high-risk diabetes patients. Including those with severe neuropathy, foot deformities, or a history of amputation.
Conclusion – Treatment of Diabetic Foot: How to Care for and Prevent Complications
Effective diabetic foot treatment and prevention require a holistic approach that includes specialized care, regular monitoring, patient education, and adherence to recommendations. The management of diabetic foot complications can significantly improve the quality of life and reduce the risk of amputation.
To stay updated on the latest research on this condition and stem cell therapy. We invite you to read our article “Stem Cells and Diabetic Foot.“
