Diabetic Foot Complications: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a highly prevalent disease globally and contributes to significant morbidity and mortality. As a consequence of multiple pathophysiologic changes which are associated with diabetes, these patients frequently suffer from foot-related disorders: infections, ulcerations, and gangrene. Approximately half of all amputations occur in diabetic individuals, usually as a complication of diabetic foot ulcers. In this retrospective study, we analyzed and characterized a cohort of 69 patients and their diabetes-related foot complications. The main characteristics of our cohort were as follows: older age at diagnosis (mean age 66); higher incidence of diabetes in males; predominantly urban patient population. The most frequent complications of the lower extremity were ulcerations and gangrene. Moreover, in our study, 35% of patients required surgical reintervention, and 27% suffered from complications, while 13% required ICU admission. However, diabetic foot lesions are preventable via simple interventions which pointedly reduce foot amputations. Early identification and the appropriate medical and surgical treatment of the complications associated with diabetic foot disease are important because they still remain common, complex and costly.