The foot attack: Where are the defence mechanisms?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15277/bjdvd.2014.012Abstract
There is a need to raise awareness of foot complications and to decrease amputations in people with diabetes. The cost of care for these patients is high once they develop foot complications. With the correct management up to 80% of amputations are preventable, and decision makers are acknowledging that they can play an important role in the prevention and treatment of foot complications and thereby reduce the amputation rate. Commissioning high quality footcare and auditing standards of foot management pathways will be beneficial, as will prompt patient referral to a multidisciplinary footcare team. Signposting of these services to patients and carers may be the most important factor in preventing a minor foot problem escalating to an amputation.References
Day C. Foot guide. Br J Diabetes Vasc Dis 2006;6:139-40.
Campbell IW. Diabetic foot disease – new thoughts on prevention and treatment. Br J Diabetes Vasc Dis 2011;11:53-54.
Nag S, McCulloch A, Razvi S. Foot trauma due to foreign bodies – out of sight, out of mind? Br J Diabetes Vasc Dis 2004;6:421.
NHS Atlas of Variation in Healthcare (2010). NHS Right Care, http://www.rightcare.nhs.uk/atlas/downloads/EndocrineMaps_AoV_2011.pdf (Accessed May 2014).
Kerr M. Foot Care for People with Diabetes: The Economic Case for Change. Insight Health Economics. March 2012. https://www.diabetes.org.uk/Documents/nhs-diabetes/footcare/footcare-for-people-with-diabetes.pdf (Accessed May 2014).
The Information Centre for Health and Social Care. Hospital Episode Statistics 2007/08-2010/11 http://www.hscic.gov.uk/ (Accessed May 2014).
State of the Nation. England. 2013. http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Documents/About%20Us/What%20we%20say/0160b-state-nation-2013-england-1213.pdf (Accessed May 2014).
Holman N, Young RJ, Jeffcoate WJ. Variation in the recorded incidence of amputation of the lower limb in England. Diabetologia 2012;55:1919-25.
Ipsos MORI. Survey on awareness of Diabetes and Diabetes UK amongst the general public, conducted on behalf of Diabetes UK 2007.
Year of care. Report of findings from the pilot programme. June 2011 http://www.diabetes.org.uk/upload/Professionals/Year%20of%20Care/ YOC_Report.pdf (Accessed May 2014).
Putting feet first. Commissioning specialist services for the management and prevention of diabetic foot disease in hospital. June 2009. http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Documents/Reports/Putting_Feet_First_010709.pdf (Accessed May 2014).
Tobalem M, Uckay I. Evolution of a diabetic foot infection. New Engl J Med 2013;369:2252.
Vascular Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Quality Improvement Framework for Major Amputation Surgery. March 2012. http://www.vascularsociety.org.uk/doc-category/audit-qi/ (Accessed May 2014).
The National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcomes and Deaths. http://www.ncepod.org.uk/amputation.htm (Accessed May 2014).
All Party Parliamentary Group on Vascular Disease. Tackling peripheral arterial disease more effectively: saving limbs, saving lives. http://appgvascular.org.uk/media/reports/2014-03-tackling_peripheral_arterial_disease_more_effectively__saving_limbs__saving_lives.pdf (Accessed May 2014).
Published
Issue
Section
License
Publish & Transfer of Copyright Agreement
For the mutual benefit and protection of the Author and the Journal Owner/Publisher it is necessary that the Author provides formal written Consent to Publish and Transfer of Copyright before publication of the Work.
