Clinical characteristics and the prognosis of diabetic foot in Tibet: A single center, retrospective study

The objective of this study was to explore the clinical characteristics and prognosis of diabetic foot in hospitalized patients with diabetes in Tibet. To achieve that, patients hospitalized in People’s Hospital of Tibet Autonomous Region and diagnosed with diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2020 were enrolled in the study, and DFU cases of Peking University First Hospital were collected as control group. Analysis and comparison of clinical characteristics of DFU in plateau and plain areas were conducted. Normal distribution data or non-normal distribution data between groups were analyzed by t-test analysis or the nonparametric Mann–Whitney U test, and categorical variants were compared by Chi-square of Pearson. A total of 54 DFU cases were enrolled in the study in the People’s Hospital of Tibet Autonomous Region (Tibet group for short). Males accounted for 83.3% (45 cases) in Tibet group, which was higher than that of Peking University First Hospital (Beijing group for short), which accounted for 67.0%. Compared with the DFU patients in the Beijing group, the Tibet group was younger (58.11 ± 12.25 years vs 64.18 ± 11.37 years, P < 0.05), with a shorter disease duration (7.00 years vs 12.00 years, P < 0.05). In contrast, alcohol consumption was higher in the Tibet group (44.4 vs 27.4%, P < 0.05), and the number of patients with smoking habit was higher in the Beijing group (29.6 vs 43.7%, P < 0.05). The Tibet group had higher HbA1c (10.2 vs 8.7%, P < 0.05) and lower DFU proportion (22.2 vs 44.2%, P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the proportion of moderate to severe infections between the two groups (58.5 vs 59.6%, P = 0.887). Leukocytes (6.75 × 109/L vs 8.72 × 109/L, P < 0.05) and neutrophils (4.07 × 109/L vs 6.26 × 109/L, P < 0.05) in Tibet group were lower. Although the DFU amputation rate in the Tibet group was lower than that in the Beijing group (9.3 vs 29.8%, P < 0.05), there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of treatment cost, hospital stay, and mortality. In conclusion, patients with DFU in Tibet had a smaller age, shorter duration of diabetes, and more male predominance. The proportions of gangrene and amputation were lower in Tibet, with gangrene accounting for 80% of all amputees.