Interviews with patients with diabetic foot ulcers in Sweden reveal heavy burdens of constant vigilance and fear.

IF 1.7 4区医学 Q3 DERMATOLOGY

Journal of wound care Pub Date : 2025-08-02 DOI:10.12968/jowc.2023.0120

Anneli Ringblom, Ingegerd Adlerberth, Agnes E Wold, Axel Wolf

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the experiences of everyday life of patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) in Sweden.

Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted from 2021-2022 with patients with active DFUs. The results were subjected to qualitative content analysis.

Results: Participants included 15 male patients and five female patients (mean age: 68 years). Responses revealed that patients felt that they had to be constantly vigilant to reduce the risk of developing a DFU. Ignoring a subtle sign could lead to disaster, i.e., amputation of the foot. This imposed a heavy burden on the patients. They also expressed sorrow over being unable to engage in cherished habits, such as swimming or walking barefoot. Some felt that doctors lacked interest in their feet, as compared with more 'prestigious' organs, such as the heart and kidneys, and they wished that they had received more information at an early stage of the disease. Pain was a significant problem for some individuals, and they did not receive adequate pain medication.

Conclusion: Despite accessible and cost-free care of DFUs in Sweden, these wounds exert profound negative impacts on patient wellbeing, not least because patients assume responsibility for avoiding worsening of their condition. Therefore, it is important for clinicians to acknowledge the patient's resources, needs and concerns, and, together with the patient, devise care goals that are realistic and achievable for both the patient and clinicians.

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与瑞典糖尿病足溃疡患者的访谈揭示了持续警惕和恐惧的沉重负担。

目的：了解瑞典糖尿病足溃疡（DFUs）患者的日常生活经历。方法：从2021-2022年对活动性DFUs患者进行半结构化访谈。结果进行定性含量分析。结果：参与者包括15例男性患者和5例女性患者（平均年龄：68岁）。调查结果显示，患者认为他们必须时刻保持警惕，以降低发生DFU的风险。忽视一个细微的迹象可能会导致灾难，比如截肢。这给病人带来了沉重的负担。他们还对无法养成游泳或赤脚走路等习惯表示遗憾。一些人觉得医生对他们的脚缺乏兴趣，而对心脏和肾脏等更“有声望”的器官却不感兴趣，他们希望在疾病的早期阶段就能得到更多的信息。对于一些人来说，疼痛是一个严重的问题，他们没有得到足够的止痛药。结论：尽管在瑞典，dfu的护理是可获得的和免费的，但这些伤口对患者的健康产生了深远的负面影响，尤其是因为患者承担了避免病情恶化的责任。因此，对于临床医生来说，重要的是要认识到患者的资源、需求和关注，并与患者一起，设计出对患者和临床医生来说都是现实的、可实现的护理目标。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of wound care DERMATOLOGY-

CiteScore

2.90

自引率

10.50%

发文量

215

期刊介绍： Journal of Wound Care (JWC) is the definitive wound-care journal and the leading source of up-to-date research and clinical information on everything related to tissue viability. The journal was first launched in 1992 and aimed at catering to the needs of the multidisciplinary team. Published monthly, the journal’s international audience includes nurses, doctors and researchers specialising in wound management and tissue viability, as well as generalists wishing to enhance their practice. In addition to cutting edge and state-of-the-art research and practice articles, JWC also covers topics related to wound-care management, education and novel therapies, as well as JWC cases supplements, a supplement dedicated solely to case reports and case series in wound care. All articles are rigorously peer-reviewed by a panel of international experts, comprised of clinicians, nurses and researchers. Specifically, JWC publishes: High quality evidence on all aspects of wound care, including leg ulcers, pressure ulcers, the diabetic foot, burns, surgical wounds, wound infection and more The latest developments and innovations in wound care through both preclinical and preliminary clinical trials of potential new treatments worldwide In-depth prospective studies of new treatment applications, as well as high-level research evidence on existing treatments Clinical case studies providing information on how to deal with complex wounds Comprehensive literature reviews on current concepts and practice, including cost-effectiveness Updates on the activities of wound care societies around the world.