•  
  •  
 

Subject Area

Family Medicine

Article Type

Original Study

Abstract

Background Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) results in major medical, financial, and social burden for the patients, their families, and society. Objective To assess the severity of DFU and identify the predictors of ulcer severity among the studied patients. Patients and methods A cross-sectional study of 70 DFU patients was undertaken. They were evaluated through a structured self-administrated questionnaire composed of four parts (sociodemographic data, diabetes-related data, knowledge, and practice about foot care) followed by physical examination to assess DFU severity. Results According to Wagner's classification, grade 2 DFU was the most prevalent among the studied group (42.9%), Followed by Grade 3 (28.6%). A logistic regression analysis revealed that the following factors were significantly associated with high ulcer severity: elevated glycated hemoglobin [odds ratio (OR)=3.02, P = 0.002], treatment with insulin (OR = 4.94, P = 0.008), heavy smoking (OR = 49.00, P = 0.01), long duration of diabetes (OR = 3.02, P = 0.026), and unsatisfactory foot care practice (OR = 3.6, P = 0.02). Conclusion Heavy smoking, elevated glycated hemoglobin, and unsatisfactory foot care practice are preventable predictors of high ulcer severity. Therefore, multidisciplinary management programs that focus on smoking cessation and education about proper foot care and glycemic control is recommended to prevent exacerbation of DFU and decrease the incidence of lower-extremity amputations.

Download

Share

COinS