CLINICAL PROFILE AND MANAGEMENT OF DIABETIC FOOT AT A TEACHING HOSPITAL
Dr. Labika Zulfiqar* Dr. Khuzaima Shakir and DR. Ammara Muzaffar
ABSTRACT
Background: In diabetes mellitus involvement of foot with infection, neuropathy and vascular involvement is a diabetic foot. It is a common problem. Objective: To find the pattern of diabetic foot infection in a tertiary care unit and its surgical solution. Methodology: This was a descriptive study conducted at a surgical unit in Surayya Azeem Teaching Hospital, Lahore. It included 32 cases suffering “diabetic foot” admitted from July 2018 to January 2019. All adult patients regardless of sex and age were involved in the study. Results: There were 32 patients presented with diabetic foot and 29 (90.6%) were male. Only eighteen were known diabetic. Smokers were 11 (34.4%). The right foot was involved in 19 (59.4%). The disease was advance as Wagner Grade 1, in 3 (9.4%), Grade 2, 5 (15.4%) Grade 3, 16 (50%) and beyond the grade were eight patients. Ulcer size was less than 4 cm in 2 (6.25%). The infection was superficial in 2 (6.25%), subcutaneous in 13 (40.6%) and deep in 23 (71.9%) patients. In 5 patients Rays amputation was done, forefoot amputations in 2, below knee amputations in 11, above knee amputation in five patients. Two patients were managed conservatively, and eight were subjected to significant debridement of leg and/ thigh and submitted to the Plastic Surgery department for plastic procedures. Conclusion: We concluded that infection is the major cause of infected foot in our study. The below knee amputations, above knee amputations and Rays' amputations, were the common type of surgeries performed in our study.
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