The effectiveness of Diabetic Foot Clinic in prevention and healing of diabetic foot ulcers.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the effects of the primary prevention and the healing of diabetic foot ulcers at Diabetic Foot Clinic at a university hospital in Thailand.

STUDY

DESIGN

Prospective descriptive study.

METHODS

Diabetic patients with diabetic foot ulcers or pre-ulcerative lesions who regularly were followed at the outpatient Diabetic Foot Clinic, were recruited. The data were collected prospectively. Prevention and healing of diabetic foot ulcers were assessed and measured.

RESULTS

Thirty-five diabetic patients with diabetic foot ulcers (n=21) and pre-ulcerative lesions (n=28) were recruited. Weekly wound radius reduction was 1.1±1.1 (mean±SD) mm/week. Fifty-seven percent of the ulcers achieved the surrogate 50% area reduction within 4 weeks. The percentage of healed ulcers at 12 and 16 weeks were 38.1%, and 47.6%, respectively. The percentage of improvement of the pre-ulcerative lesion was 78.6%. The most common complication was soft tissue infection (19%) which required surgical debridement (14.2%) and minor amputation (4.8%).

CONCLUSION

The effectiveness of the Diabetic Foot Clinic was assessed by the reduction of the ulcer radius, ability to reach the surrogate 50% area reduction, and the improvement of the pre-ulcerative lesion. The weekly reduction of the ulcer radius was 1.1±1.1mm/week. The percentage of reaching the surrogate 50% area reduction within 4 weeks was 57%. The percentage of improvement of the pre-ulcerative lesion was 78.6%.