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This manuscript describes the implementation and initial evaluation of a novel Canadian acute care pathway for people with a diabetic foot ulcer (DFU). A multidisciplinary team developed and implemented an acute care pathway for patients with a DFU who presented to the emergency department (ED) and required hospitalisation at a tertiary care hospital in Canada. Processes of care, length of stay (LOS), and hospitalisation costs were considered through retrospective cohort study of all DFU hospitalizations from pathway launch in December 2018 to December 2020. There were 82 DFU-related hospital admissions through the ED of which 55 required invasive intervention: 28 (34.1%) minor amputations, 16 (19.5%) abscess drainage and debridement, 6 (7.3%) lower extremity revascularisations, 5 (6.1%) major amputations. Mean hospital LOS was 8.8 ± 4.9 days. Mean hospitalisation cost was $20 569 (±14 143): $25 901 (±15 965) when surgical intervention was required and $9279 (±7106) when it was not. LOS and hospitalisation costs compared favourably to historical data. An acute care DFU pathway can support the efficient evaluation and management of patients hospitalised with a DFU. A dedicated multidisciplinary DFU care team is a valuable resource for hospitals in Canada., (© 2023 The Authors. International Wound Journal published by Medicalhelplines.com Inc and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objectives: Diabetes can lead to loss of protective sensation (LOPS) in the feet. Identifying LOPS requires use of screening tests, such as the standard monofilament test (SMT) and the Ipswich Touch Test (IpTT). The aim of this validation study was to compare the SMT (criterion) with the IpTT (new test)., Methods: Each participant was randomly tested using the SMT, IpTT and Neuropathy Disability Score to identify LOPS. Sixteen health-care providers assessed 8 participants in randomized order using a specific protocol., Results: The IpTT, compared with the SMT, demonstrated a specificity of 100% for all raters and a mean sensitivity of 93.8% for LOPS. Kappa coefficient was 0.97 for SMT and 0.83 for IpTT., Conclusions: The IpTT can be used by health-care providers as an effective tool for screening for LOPS in people with diabetes. This study validated the IpTT to the SMT in identifying LOPS., (Copyright © 2022 Canadian Diabetes Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) have an increased risk of lower extremity amputation. A retrospective chart review of patients with DFUs attending the Foot Treatment and Assessment chiropodist-led outpatient clinic at an inner-city academic hospital was conducted to determine wound healing outcomes and characteristics contributing to outcomes., Method: We reviewed the complete clinical history of 279 patients with 332 DFUs spanning over a five-year period., Results: The mean age of patients was 61.5±12.5 years and most patients (83.5%) had one DFU. The majority of wounds (82.5%) were in the forefoot. Overall, 267/332 (80.5%) wounds healed. A greater proportion of wounds healed in the forefoot (82.5%) and midfoot (87.1%) than hindfoot (51.9%; p<0.001). Using a logistic regression model, palpable pedal pulse and use of a total contact cast were associated with better wound healing., Conclusion: Our findings are the first to demonstrate the benefits of chiropodists leading an acute care outpatient clinic in the management of DFUs in Canada and delivers wound healing outcomes equivalent to or exceeding those previously published.

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are a significant problem in an aging population. Fifteen percent of diabetics develop a DFU over their lifetime, which can lead to potential amputation. The 5-year survival rate after amputation is 31%, which is greater than the lifetime risk of mortality from cancer. Topical oxygen is a promising technique for the adjunctive therapy of chronic wounds including DFUs, but few controlled studies exist to support its clinical adoption. The aim of this study was to compare a portable topical oxygen delivery system in patients with nonhealing DFUs to standard best practice. Twenty patients were randomized into a topical oxygen group (n = 10), and a nonplacebo control group with regular dressings and standard care (n = 10), and attended the diabetic foot clinic once weekly for 8 weeks. Ulcer surface area over time was analyzed using standardized digital imaging software. DFUs were present without healing for a mean duration of 76 weeks prior to the study. They found a significant difference in healing rate between patients receiving topical oxygen and those receiving standard care. Topical oxygen, therefore, represents a potentially exciting new technology to shorten healing time in patients with nonhealing DFUs. More prospective randomized and powered studies are needed to determine the benefits of topical oxygen, but our current results are very promising., (© 2016 by the Wound Healing Society.)

The purpose of this study was to assess morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing non traumatic lower extremity amputations ≤65 years to identify the specific needs of these younger patients. A retrospective study was conducted to determine the demographics, comorbidity and mortality with below-knee amputations and above-knee amputations from 1998 to 2008. A total of 203 amputations were performed on 176 patients who were ≤65 years. Major comorbidities and associated physical findings were peripheral vascular disease, diabetes, pain, gangrene, hypertension, ulcer, local wound infection and hypercholesterolemia. Compared to patients who were not deceased post-amputation, those deceased had a higher prevalence of diabetes, renal failure, coronary artery disease (CAD) and sepsis. Significant predictors of mortality were renal failure (hazard ratio [HR] = 4·19; 95% CI 1·96-8·93), CAD (HR = 3·33; 95% CI 1·42-7·81) and amputation site (above-knee) (HR = 3·26; 95% CI 1·51-7·04). This study showed that younger patients may benefit from an interdisciplinary approach in treating local foot ulcers aggressively and optimising their cardiovascular, renal and diabetic risk factors., (© 2012 The Authors. International Wound Journal © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and Medicalhelplines.com Inc.)

Objective: To retrospectively review the outcomes of percutaneous flexor tenotomies of diabetic claw toes with ulcers or pending ulcers., Methods: We undertook a retrospective chart review between January 1999 and June 2005 to identify those patients who had undergone a percutaneous flexor tenotomy for diabetic claw toe deformities. We identified 34 toes in 14 patients. Of these, 24 toes had ulcerations at the terminal aspect and 3 had radiographic evidence of osteomyelitis of the terminal phalange. All patients had palpable pulses and good capillary refill. A percutaneous flexor tenotomy was performed on all toes in an outpatient clinic; patients with a rigid flexor contracture at the proximal interphalangeal joint underwent an osteoclaysis to correct a portion of the deformity., Results: The average follow-up was 13 months. All patients with ulcers healed and there were no significant complications. Those without osteomyelitis healed within an average of 3 weeks and those with osteomyelitis healed within an average of 8 weeks., Conclusion: A percutaneous flexor tenotomy with osteoclasis of the proximal interphalangeal joint performed in an outpatient clinic is a safe and effective method to off-load the tip of the toe so that that ulcer healing can occur. The presence of osteomyelitis is not a contraindication for this technique; however, an increased healing time can be expected.