Diabetic foot disease is a major public health problem with an annual NHS expenditure in excess of £1 billion. Infection increases risk of major amputation fivefold. Due to the polymicrobial nature of diabetic foot infections, it is often difficult to isolate the correct organism with conventional culture techniques, to deliver appropriate narrow spectrum antibiotics. Rapid DNA-based technology using multi-channel arrays presents a quicker alternative and has previously been used effectively in intensive care and respiratory medicine. We gained institutional and Local Ethics Committee approval for a prospective cohort study of patients with clinically infected diabetic foot wounds. They all had deep tissue samples taken in clinic processed with conventional culture and real-time PCR TaqMan array.Introduction
Methods
Total contact casting (TCC) is one of the most commonly utilized modalities in the management of diabetic feet. We undertook a retrospective review to determine the prevalence of symptomatic VTE events in patients treated in a weight bearing TCC in our diabetic foot unit, and to formulate guidelines for VTE prophylaxis. Electronic records were reviewed to identify all patients treated in a TCC between 2014 and 2021. Data collection included patient demographics, comorbidities, period of immobilization in TCC, the incidence of VTE events, and any VTE prophylaxis prescribed during their period in TCC.Introduction
Methods
This retrospective case series reports the reoperation, major amputation, survival rates and mobility status in diabetic patients who underwent a trans-metatarsal amputation (TMA) managed within a multi-disciplinary diabetic foot care service. Forty-one consecutive patients (37 men, 4 women) underwent a TMA between January 2008 to December 2017. They were retrospectively reviewed. The mean age at the time of surgery was 63 years (range 39 – 92).Aim
Methods and patients
