What is it about?
People with diabetic foot ulcers have an increased risk of lower extremity amputation. Lower extremity amputations can be prevented by screening and appropriate management. What are the wound healing outcomes and characteristics contributing to our outcomes over a 5-year period? We examine the multitude of factors that contribute to our wound healing outcomes and delve deeper into our significant findings.
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Why is it important?
We are the first to demonstrate the benefits of chiropodists leading an acute care outpatient clinic in the management of diabetic foot ulcers in Canada. Our findings determined that palpable pedal pulses, the use of a total contact cast, and location of the wound were associated with greater wound healing. We take a closer look at the relationship between location of wound and selection of offloading device. We also developed a useful tool to guide clinicians in the selection of an offloading device based on the location of wound.
Perspectives
This article will hopefully highlight the importance of the role of a chiropodist as part of a multidisciplinary team in the management of diabetic foot ulcers, especially in Canada. I hope that readers can reflect on their barriers in managing diabetic foot ulcers in their own clinical setting and how they will overcome them. By sharing our guide of how to select recommending offloading devices based on wound location, I hope readers will carefully consider both patient and wound factors when choosing the appropriate offloading device to optimize diabetic foot ulcer healing, and ultimately prevent lower extremity amputations.
Suzanne Lu
St. Michael's Hospital
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Wound healing outcomes in a diabetic foot ulcer outpatient clinic at an acute care hospital: a retrospective study, Journal of Wound Care, October 2017, Mark Allen Group,
DOI: 10.12968/jowc.2017.26.sup10.s4.
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