A clinical review of Dermatonics Once Heel Balm to assess its impact on callus associated with neuropathy and podiatry workloads.

Foot ulceration in people with diabetes is a global problem (Boulton, 2004). The human and financial costs within the UK are significant and increasing with a calculation of £900m for the year 2014-15 (Kerr, 2019). On average, an episode of ulceration costs the NHS £14,600 to treat (Kerr, 2017). Ulcerations increase 5-year morbidity by almost 2.5 times (Walsh, 2016). The presence of callus and neuropathy occur commonly and are a recognised high predicator of foot ulceration (International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot, 2019; NICE, 2019). National and international guidelines recommend the use of emollients and the reduction of callus as important preventative actions. Most people with diabetes are likely to have their first interaction with professional advice on ulcer prevention within the community in a primary care setting. Patients with callus and neuropathy are most likely to be prescribed non-keratolytic emollients or, on rare occasions, low-concentration urea creams by their GP to treat callus. This paper assesses the effectiveness of these creams in treating callus in patients referred to diabetic foot clinics, and compares their efficacy to that of a high-concentration keratolytic (25% urea) cream prescribed or recommended by podiatrists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]