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Objective : The purpose of this study was to evaluate risk factors for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in patients hospitalized for diabetic foot infections. Methods : We reviewed hospital admissions for foot infections in patients with diabetes which had nasal swabs, and anaerobic and aerobic tissue cultures at the time of admission. Data collected included patient characteristics and medical history to determine risk factors for developing an MRSA infection in the foot. Results : The prevalence of MRSA in these infections was 29.8%. Risk factors for MRSA diabetic foot infections were history of MRSA foot infection, MRSA nasal colonization, and multidrug-resistant organisms (p

Diabetic foot infections are a high risk for lower extremity amputation in patients with dense peripheral neuropathy and/or peripheral vascular disease. When they present with concomitant osteomyelitis, it poses a great challenge to the surgical and medical teams with continuing debates regarding the treatment strategy. A cohort prospective study conducted between October 2005 and October 2010 included 330 diabetic patients with osteomyelitis mainly involving the forefoot (study group) and 1,808 patients without foot osteomyelitis (control group). Diagnosis of osteomyelitis was based on probing to bone test with bone cultures for microbiological studies and/or repeated plain radiographic findings. Surgical treatment included debridement, sequestrectomy, resections of metatarsal and digital bones, or toe amputation. Antibiotics were started as empirical and modified according to the final culture and sensitivities for all patients. Patients were followed for at least 1 year after wound healing. The mean age of the study group was 56.7 years (SD11.4) compared to the control group of 56.3 years (SD12.1), while the male to female ratio was 3:1. At initial presentation, 82.1% (n271) of the study group had an ulcer penetrating the bone or joint level. The most common pathogens were Staphylococcus aureus (33.3%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (32.2%), and Escherichia coli (22.2%) with an almost similar pattern in the control group. In the study group, wound healing occurred in less than 6 months in 73% of patients compared to 89.9% in the control group. In the study group, 52 patients (15.8%) had a major lower extremity amputation versus 61 in the control group (3.4%) (P0.001). During the postoperative follow-up visits, 12.1% of patients in each group developed wound recurrence. In conclusion, combined surgical and medical treatment for diabetic foot osteomyelitis can achieve acceptable limb salvage rate and also reduce the duration of time to healing along with the duration of antibiotic treatment and wound recurrence rate. Keywords: diabetic foot; osteomyelitis; ulcer; amputation; neuropathy (Published: 1 October 2012) Citation: Diabetic Foot & Ankle 2012, 3 : 18809 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/dfa.v3i0.18809

Conservative management of Charcot foot neuroarthropathy remains efficacious for certain clinical scenarios. Treatment of the patient should take into account the stage of the Charcot neuroarthopathy, site(s) of involvement, presence or absence of ulceration, presence or absence of infection, overall medical status, and level of compliance. The authors present an overview of evidence-based non-operative treatment for diabetic Charcot neuroarthropathy with an emphasis on the most recent developments in therapy. Keywords: diabetic foot; osteomyelitis; Charcot neuroarthropathy; ulcer; bone stimulation(Published: 11 May 2011)Citation: Diabetic Foot & Ankle 2011, 2: 6418 - DOI: 10.3402/dfa.v2i0.6418

Objectives: This is a prospective study of the clinical efficacy of the V.A.C. Granufoam Bridge Dressing for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. Materials and methods: Five consecutive patients with diabetic foot ulcers were treated with V.A.C. Granufoam Bridge Dressings and studied over a period of 22-48 days. The indications for treatment included diabetic patients with open ray amputation wounds and wounds post-drainage for abscess with exposed deep structures. Clinical outcome was measured in terms of reduction in wound dimensions, presence of wound granulation, microbial clearance, and development of wound complications. Results: Our results showed that with V.A.C. therapy, wound healing occurred in all patients. The number of dressings required ranged from 8 to 10. The baseline average wound size was 23.1 cm 2 . Wound areas shrunk by 18.4-41.7%. All subjects achieved 100% wound bed granulation with an average length of treatment of 33 days. Microbial clearance was achieved in all cases. All wounds healed by secondary intention in one case and four cases required split-thickness skin grafting. Conclusion: The V.A.C. Granufoam Bridge Dressing is effective in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. It promotes reduction of wound area, wound bed granulation, and microbial clearance. By allowing placement of the suction pad outside the foot, it allowed patients to wear protective shoes and to walk non-weight bearing with crutches during V.A.C. therapy. Keywords: diabetic foot, negative pressure wound therapy, ulcer, neuropathy (Published: 4 March 2011) Citation: Diabetic Foot & Ankle 2011, 2 : 5893 - DOI: 10.3402/dfa.v2i0.5893