Diabetes Watch »
Assessing The Use Of Ex-Fix For Offloading In Diabetic Limb Salvage
In lieu of the advancements in wound healing and innovations in surgical technique, limb salvage in the patient with diabetes remains a costly and complex endeavor. Some advocate immediate amputation for complex diabetic ulcers or gangrene.1 However, researchers have associated amputations in patients with diabetes with decreased life expectancy and an increased risk of contralateral amputation.2 The challenge with wound healing in patients with diabetes stems from the existence of comorbidities such as vasculopathy, neuropathy and propensity for infection.3
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Connecting The Dots Between Diabetic Foot Ulcers, PAD And Dangerous Complications
Pink ribbon. The juxtaposition of these two words translates into arguably the most recognized symbol anywhere, the looping image firmly embedded in our collective psyche and associated with breast cancer awareness. These words also conjure up a range of thoughts, emotions and an awareness of breast cancer that has transformed this terrible disease into a cause that extends beyond medical research. It is safe to say that minus the ribbon, the color pink alone has come to symbolize breast cancer awareness.
Diabetes Watch »
Can Copper Help Prevent Lower Extremity Complications In Patients With Diabetes?
The wound care arena of the 21st century offers the practicing clinician a wide array of products and technologies to utilize in the management of diabetic foot ulcerations. Our patients are benefitting from the explosion of emerging technologies and evidence-based algorithms are helpful in guiding treatment interventions. Some technologies are innovative and a reflection of modern discoveries while others like medicinal applications for copper were in use in ancient times.
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Supplementing Diabetic Wound Care With Hyperbaric Medicine
As the diabetes mellitus epidemic continues to grow, so does the number of diabetic wounds in the lower extremity. Researchers have estimated that the number of individuals with diabetes mellitus who eventually develop a lower extremity ulceration may be as high as 25 percent.1
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Can The Medial Plantar Artery Flap Be Beneficial For Diabetic Heel Ulcers?
The diabetic ulcer, particularly involving the heel, remains a challenge for the foot surgeon. When these ulcers occur in the neuropathic patient with adequate circulation, the medial plantar artery flap can serve as a useful tool for the management of these defects.
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Taking Charge Of The Non-Adherent Patient With Diabetes
Every physician, regardless of specialty, faces the non-adherent patient. When the patient has diabetes, things become even more complicated. Even though we as podiatrists are not actively managing the patient’s diabetes, his or her glycemic control directly impacts the effectiveness of our treatments.
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A Guide To Shoe Gear Selection Following A Transmetatarsal Amputation
Proper shoe gear/bracing and education on the importance of its use is essential in the long-term postoperative management of patients who have undergone a transmetatarsal amputation (TMA). Initial publications on shoe gear use after a TMA reported that patients did well with no more than the placement of lamb’s wool in the toe box of a standard shoe.1-5
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Current Insights In Treating Diabetic Foot And Ankle Trauma
The management of diabetic foot and ankle injuries has raised significant debate and controversy over the last few years. Unfortunately, there is still no clear consensus on treatment protocols that necessitate surgical intervention. The main reason for this controversy is because there is no single correct way of treating even the most commonly encountered diabetic foot and ankle fractures and/or dislocations.
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Ethical Considerations In RCTs With Diabetic Patients
At the conferring of medical degrees, physicians take the Hippocratic Oath, in which they make a covenant to practice medicine to the best of their abilities. As the oath states, “I will apply, for the benefit of the sick, all measures (that) are required.” The physician has a duty to promote the patient’s best medical interests and therefore is obliged to advise the patient to receive the treatment that the physician prefers.
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Can Autologous Bone Marrow Aspirate Be Beneficial For DFUs?
It is well known that diabetic foot ulcers contribute to extensive morbidity and mortality in patients with diabetes.1 Advanced biological and topical drug treatments have been introduced over the last two decades in an attempt to expedite wound closure, thereby reducing the risk of infection, amputation and other complications. These products include topical growth factors (Regranex®, Systagenix) as well as bioengineered living cell products, with the most frequently applied being Apligraf® (Organogenesis) and Dermagraft® (Advanced Biohealing).
