Foot Ulceration Research Paper

I was just two weeks into my internal medicine rotation at Suez Canal University in Egypt, when I encountered a case that I still remember to this day. Ms. Rafat was an elderly diabetic patient that came into our clinic complaining of a persistent wound on the sole of her foot. Upon removing her boots, her complaint turned out to be a foot ulcer with an infection extending to the first and second metatarsal bones .Unfortunately for her, we had to break the news to her and her family that her foot would need amputation. Ms. Rafat was understandably upset but took the news in stride. Following up on her case, I learned that after the surgery, the blood flow to her leg became increasingly poor and she had to return to have a below the knee amputation. Ms. Rafat ended up dying of pulmonary embolism as a complication of her second surgery. This case stayed with me not only because it

venous leg ulcers and diabetic foot ulcers. Canadian Association of Wound Care (CAWC) has published

After the initial investigation, the BSN nurse would then research current treatments for pressure ulcers as they relate to diabetic patients. To properly care for a diabetic foot ulcer, the BSN nurse would suggest debridement and a dressing to prevent tissue dehydration, absorb excess fluid, and to prevent wound contamination (American Diabetes Association 2006). Patient education would also be necessary to ensure she does not bear weight on the affected limb to promote healing. According to the American Diabetes Association, the biggest challenge for healing a diabetic wound is keeping the patient from bearing weight on the affected limb. The BSN nurse may be equipped to handle the patient education better than the ADN nurse due to the amount of research done on the subject.

Diabetes remains the 7th leading cause of death in the United States. The cost of care for diabetics and new cases of diagnosed diabetes patient’s rise more and more each year. In 2010 234’051 death certificates were issued with the mention of diabetes as a contributing factor to the death. About 60% of lower limb amputations were performed. The cost of care for diabetics is now at an astronomical high of $176 billion dollars. A change a most be made to prevent all of this loss. (American Diabetes Association, 2014)

The recommendations for change to practice at the level of the provider would include first treating the underlying problem that Mrs. Smith was admitted for. According to the literature, a progressively worsening diabetic foot ulcer requires implementing a multitude of strategies to prevent amputation of the limb. Adequate wound management, including debridement if required, and offloading techniques should be instilled for Mrs. Smith. Furthermore, education by the provider would be of critical importance for Mrs.

To obtain relevant information about this topic, databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, and EBSCO host were searched. Appropriate search words and phrases were used such as the following: “dressing types and diabetic foot ulcers”, collagen dressings, wet to dry dressings and “diabetic foot ulcer care”. The search was then narrowed by using only articles published in the past five years. The studies presented were then evaluated for relevancy and accuracy.

Within the authors current practice setting, patients are mobile and walk into the clinic for a quick wound assessment. On occasion, patients are wheelchair bound due to various health reasons and need to be assessed for sacral pressure injuries. Other common pressure injuries include heel ulcers from nursing home bed ridden patients, and diabetic foot ulcers related to pressure injuries from improper footwear. At the initial visit, the patients health history, current medical status, mobility, and ulcer condition are assessed to establish baseline information. From this data, the doctor, patient, and family can create a care plan with focus on areas in need of improvement.

If you have diabetes, you should see a podiatrist any time you have a sore or cut on your foot. A complication of diabetes is poor circulation which causes injuries to be slow to heal. Diabetes also causes nerve damage, which means you might not even feel an injury that would normally be painful. If you're not diabetic and you have an injury that doesn't heal at a normal pace,

Structural abnormalities that can occur in the feet of diabetic patients may cause elevated plantar pressure, leading to formation of an ulcer. Therefore, the development of diabetic foot ulcer at the patient’s right heel must be given utmost attention and care to prevent further complications to this precious remaining foot. Left untreated, the ulcer can become infected leading to another amputation and subsequently further limiting this patient’s function and

Treating the underlying disease is the most important and should identify the underlying cause of the DFU during the patient assessment, if possible correct or eliminate it. Treating any severe ischaemia is crucial in wound healing, regardless of other interventions. It is recommended that all patients with ischaemia of the limb, rest pain, ulceration and tissue loss, should be referred for consideration of arterial reconstruction. Achieving optimal diabetic control involves tight glycaemic control, managing risk factors such as high blood pressure, hyperlipidaemia and smoking. Nutritional deficiencies should be rectified for better wound

Forceful external rotation of the foot results in widening of the ankle mortise as the talus is driven into external rotation within the mortise (Fig 9). Forceful eversion of the talus also affects widening of the mortise. Forceful dorsiflexion tends to widen the ankle mortise as the wider anterior aspect of the talar dome enters the joint space. In all cases, the distal fibula is pushed laterally away from its articulation with the distal

Diabetes mellitus is the main cause of non traumatic lower extremity amputations in the United States. Diabetic infections also a major source of morbidity of the individual. Approximately 15% of people in the DM develop a foot ulcer, and the significant subset of those individuals may sometimes be handicapped. (Harrison, 2003)Diabetes and its potential complications are enormous and lead to morbidity and mortality, and there are significant health burdens on families and community. Stress and Diabetes are problems shown in a spectrum associated with relatively young age. In India, civilians move from rural to urban areas, economic growth and changes in living standards can affect

GraftJacket is one of the commercial wound dressing suitable for diabetic foot ulcers, repair and replacement of damaged or inadequate integumental tissue.It has a regenerative tissue matrix derived from human tissue, that been through different processes to eliminate the cells and destroy pathogens.The matrix acts as an immunologically inert

Foot injuries are very common in athletics as well as in everyday life. It’s very debilitating to have a foot injury since we use our feet in all of our daily activities. Research published in "Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise” indicates that the average adult takes between 5,000 to 7,000 steps a day. Some sports require the most dedicated athletes spend multiple hours a day pounding their feet on the turf or pavement. Most injuries that occur in the foot require a person to try and stay off of it or completely immobilize it. Since this is very difficult for a person to do, a large percentage of foot injuries often have a very high chance of reoccurring. The severity of some injuries that can be deceiving as well. Often times a nagging pain is ignored and eventually becomes a much bigger problem.

The diabetic foot disease is the leading cause of non-traumatic lower-limb amputation and results from three common pathologies: diabetic peripheral neuropathy, peripheral arterial disease, and infection. Late complications include foot ulceration, Charcot neuroarthropathy and amputation (Turns, 2013, p.422) though another specialist like, Iraj who wrote Prevention of Diabetic Foot Ulcer, added to the most common facts: deformities and minor