Foot complications in people with diabetes

Abstract

Foot complications are the most common cause of hospital admission of people with diabetes and a frequent cause of amputation. Neuropathy and peripheral arterial disease make the foot particularly vulnerable to ulceration, but infection is often the pathology precipitating presentation. Recognition of the patient at risk of ulceration may allow interventions to prevent the development of foot complications. When complications do occur, urgent treatment is required to prevent limb loss; the infected foot in a patient with diabetes is a surgical emergency. In addition to antibiotics, debridement and surgical drainage of infection should be considered within the first 24 hours after presentation. Once the foot is made safe, revascularization should be undertaken in those with significant arterial disease. Adoption of a multidisciplinary team approach to managing diabetic foot complications has resulted in reduction in major amputations in some European countries.