A Cohort Study on the Outcome of Diabetic Foot Ulcers

Sriram Sanjeeviraj; Aswinkumar Subburaj; Smriti Aluri; Brahmma Rishy Thakku Sekar; Manik Jalan; Aleena Gilton Joseph

doi:10.7759/cureus.48030

A Cohort Study on the Outcome of Diabetic Foot Ulcers

Cureus. 2023 Oct 31;15(10):e48030. doi: 10.7759/cureus.48030. eCollection 2023 Oct.

Authors

Sriram Sanjeeviraj¹, Aswinkumar Subburaj², Smriti Aluri³, Brahmma Rishy Thakku Sekar⁴, Manik Jalan⁵, Aleena Gilton Joseph⁶

Affiliations

¹ General Surgery, Madras Medical College, Chennai, IND.
² Surgery, Vinayaka Mission's Research Foundation, Karaikkal, IND.
³ Surgery, Kakatiya Medical College, Warangal, IND.
⁴ Surgery, Government Sivagangai Medical College and Hospital, Sivagangai, IND.
⁵ Emergency Medicine, Tagore Hospital and Heart Care Centre, Jalandhar, IND.
⁶ Surgery, SK Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, IND.

Abstract

Background: Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) represent a significant and challenging complication of diabetes mellitus, often leading to serious morbidity and a substantial burden on healthcare systems. The study was conducted with the objectives of evaluating the outcomes of DFUs.

Materials and methods: A cohort study was conducted to evaluate the outcomes of DFUs from May 2019 to May 2020 at a tertiary care hospital located in Chennai. The study included patients aged 18 to 90 years who were diagnosed with DFUs. Individuals with diabetic foot lesions (skin lesions such as fissures, abscess, cellulites) other than ulcers or those without diabetes were excluded. The data was collected from a total of 100 diabetic patients using systematic random sampling technique.

Results: The mean (SD) age of the study participants was 54.68 (6.72) years with males constituting 56% of the study population. Among 100 participants, 65% experienced healing while 35% did not. Logistic regression analysis showed that glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, age, and diabetes duration had significant effect on patient outcome. Logistic regression analysis showed that HbA1c levels, age, and diabetes duration had significant effect on patient outcome. Out of 12 patients with major amputation, seven (58.3%) survived, while out of 19 patients with minor amputations, 18 (94.7%) showed remarkably higher survival rate. Meanwhile, 100% survival rate was observed in patients with no amputation.

Conclusion: The study's comprehensive assessment of risk factors and their associations with healing outcomes provides essential knowledge for clinical practice. The study findings collectively support the optimization of interventions and strategies to prevent and manage DFUs, ultimately improving patient care and enhancing their quality of life. The study highlights the significance of glycemic control and limb preservation in DFU management.

Keywords: amputations.; diabetic foot ulcer; glycemic control; healing rate; risk factors.