Sm. Shenaq et al., HOW TO HELP DIABETIC-PATIENTS AVOID AMPUTATION - PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF FOOT ULCERS, Postgraduate medicine, 96(5), 1994, pp. 177
Foot ulcers are a weighty complication of diabetes whose significance
is often underestimated. They are associated with a high degree of mor
bidity and mortality, and treatment is laborious and costly. The probl
em of susceptibility to foot ulceration is best addressed through a pr
evention program emphasizing patient education, pedal hygiene, regular
follow-up visits, and lifestyle modification. Such programs are most
efficiently administered by a healthcare team. When ulcers do occur, i
t is important to take a systematic approach to management, stressing
infection control, metabolic stabilization, thorough debridement, and
meticulous wound care.