Background: Diabetic foot ulcers are the result of multiple complications from hyperglycemia and lead to poor quality of life and high healthcare costs. The annual diabetes foot screening exam (ADFSE) and prevention interventions can reduce DFUs up to 75%. In 2015, 71% of the US population received the ADFSE. Objectives: The main objectives of this dissertation were: 1) to determine the association between adherence to diabetes self-management behaviors and the ADFSE, 2) to determine the association between concordant and discordant comorbidities and the ADFSE and 3) to determine the association between the performance of diabetes preventive care processes, number of office visits for diabetes and the completion of the ADFSE. Methods: Three cross-sectional studies used data from the 2015 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Logistic regression models were evaluated to assess the association between the self-management behaviors and the ADFSE. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to assess the simultaneous, direct effects of concordant and discordant comorbidity loads on the ADFSE and the performance of diabetes preventive care processes and the number of office visits for diabetes care on the ADFSE. Results: In 2015, between 78.2% and 80.4% of the US population with diabetes received the ADFSE. Performance of the ADFSE was 77% less likely (OR: 0.33, 95%CI: 0.25-0.44) in those who do not perform self-foot inspections and 40% (OR: 0.59, 95%CI: 0.45-0.76) less likely in those who have never received the pneumococcal vaccination. Receiving the ADFSE was 50-80% less likely in patients who do not self-monitor blood glucose at least one time per day, depending on insulin use and receipt of diabetes education. Neither concordant comorbidities (β=0.226, p=0.086) nor discordant comorbidities (β=0.080, p=0.415) had a direct association with the performance of the ADFSE. The collection of preventive care processes demonstrated a 7% (OR: 1.07, 95% CI: 1.05-1.10) increase in the likelihood the ADFSE was performed Conclusions: Performance of the ADFSE may be improved through multiple types of interventions. Patient-based interventions to increase adherence to self-management behaviors is one route. Programs to improve overall diabetes care in the clinical setting may also help to further improve completion of the ADFSE.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karolinska institutet, 2007. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

Diabetes är en sjukdom som i många fall kan leda till olika senkomplikationer, en av dem är fotsår. Att leva med diabetiska fotsår kan inverka på livskvaliteten, därför är det viktigt att få kunskap om vad som påverkar livskvaliteten för att kunna ge bättre omvårdnad och öka välbefinnandet. Syftet var att belysa vad som påverkar livskvaliteten hos personer med diabetiska fotsår. Datainsamlingen resulterade i 12 artiklar som besvarade studiens syfte. Granskning av artiklarna genomfördes och data kategoriserades. Fem kategorier framkom som visade att rädsla, smärta, immobilitet, kunskap och stöd påverkade livskvaliteten hos personer med diabetiska fotsår. Det fanns en rädsla för fördröjd sårläkning, utveckling av nya sår och att i framtiden eventuellt behöva amputera. Smärta från diabetiska fotsår upplevdes som frustrerande och var en av orsakerna till immobilitet vilket i sin tur skapade social isolering. Kunskap var betydelsefullt för att kunna förebygga uppkomsten av nya fotsår och för att de drabbade skulle kunna söka vård tidigare. För att kunna hantera vardagen var det därför viktigt att få stöd från olika personer i omgivningen. Sjuksköterskan kan förbättra omvårdnaden och skapa förutsättningar för bättre livskvalitet genom att se människan bakom fotsåret. / Diabetes is a disease which in many cases leads to various complications, one of them is foot ulcers. Living with diabetic foot ulcers can affect the quality of life, therefore it is important to gain knowledge about what affects the quality of life in order to provide better care and improve well-being. The aim was to highlight aspects that affects the quality of life in people with diabetic foot ulcers. The data collection resulted in 12 articles who responded to the purpose of the study. The examination of the articles was conducted and data was categorized. Five categories emerged which showed that fear, pain, immobility, knowledge and support affected the quality of life among people with diabetic foot ulcers. There was a fear of delayed wound healing, development of new wounds, and for the risk of amputation in the future. Pain from diabetic foot ulcers was perceived as frustrating and was one of the causes of immobility, which in turn created the social isolation. This knowledge was important in order to prevent the occurrence of new foot ulcers so that those affected could seek treatment earlier. In order to manage everyday life, it was therefore important to receive support from different people in the surrounding. The nurse can improve the care and create better quality of life by seeing the person behind the foot ulcer.

Were he alive today, would Louis Pasteur still champion culture methods he pioneered over 150 years ago for identifying bacterial pathogens? Or, might he suggest that new molecular techniques may prove a better way forward for quickly detecting the true microbial diversity of wounds? As modern clinicians faced with treating complex patients with diabetic foot infections (DFI), should we still request venerated and familiar culture and sensitivity methods, or is it time to ask for newer molecular tests, such as 16S rRNA gene sequencing? Or, are molecular techniques as yet too experimental, non-specific and expensive for current clinical use? While molecular techniques help us to identify more microorganisms from a DFI, can they tell us ‘who done it?', that is, which are the causative pathogens and which are merely colonizers? Furthermore, can molecular techniques provide clinically relevant, rapid information on the virulence of wound isolates and their antibiotic sensitivities? We herein review current knowledge on the microbiology of DFI, from standard culture methods to the current era of rapid and comprehensive ‘crime scene investigation' (CSI) techniques.

Diabetes is a growing public health problem that can lead to serious complications for the pa-tient such as foot ulcers and amputations. For affected patients the foot ulcers causes suffer-ing, pain and impaired health. The foot ulcers also contribute to major costs to the society and affects healthcare resources hard. A large part of the district nurse's work consists of wound care. Therefore it is important that the district nurse possess adequate knowledge of wound dressings to promote wound healing and thereby shorten the wound healing time. The aim of the study was to examine the wound healing time due to treatment with antiseptic or non-antiseptic dressings in elderly patients with diabetes and foot ulcers. The method used was a quantitative register study with a retrospective and descriptive design. Patients included in the study were 241 men and women aged ≥ 65 years with diabetes and healed foot ulcers. Men were represented by 68 % (n=164) and women by 32 % (n=77). The results showed no signif-icant difference in wound healing time due to treatment with antiseptic or non-antiseptic dressings. The most common non-antiseptic dressing used was polyurethane foam and the most common antiseptic dressing used was silver dressing. More research to compare wound healing time between non-antiseptic and antiseptic dressings in elderly patients with diabetes and foot ulcers are needed. District nurses need to increase their knowledge within different dressings and its positive and negative effects.

L’ostéite du pied diabétique (OPD) est une complication survenant à la suite d’une plaie située sous les malléoles chez un patient diabétique. L’OPD survient à la faveur d’une plaie généralement chronique du pied favorisée par la neuropathie e/ou l’artérite des membres inférieurs fréquemment associées au diabète. Il s’agit bien d’une ostéite et non d’une ostéomyélite car l’origine hématogène de l’OPD n’est pratiquement pas décrite. L’OPD est une affection dont l’incidence augmente régulièrement avec l’évolution du diabète dans le monde. On estime en effet que 15 à 25% des patients diabétiques présenteront à un quelconque moment de leur existence une ulcération du pied qui subira une infection dans 40 à 80% des cas. L’OPD retarde la cicatrisation des plaies qui ont conduit à sa survenue et augmente significativement le risque d’amputation mineure ou majeure. C’est, avec l’artérite des membres inférieurs, l’une des grandes causes d’amputation d’un membre inférieur chez les patients diabétiques. L’OPD est avant tout une infection ostéo-articulaire qui survient sur un terrain particulier. L’altération des défenses immunitaires systémiques et locales, quoique variables d’un sujet diabétique à un autre, réduit les chances de guérison de l’OPD. S’agissant d’une infection ostéo-articulaire chronique le plus souvent staphylococcique survenant sur un terrain fragilisé il a longtemps été estimée que la guérison ne pouvait être espérée sans la suppression du tissu ostéo-articulaire infecté, en pratique sans amputation. L’amputation n’est cependant pas sans conséquence fonctionnelle et » l’épargne ostéo-articulaire » a été prônée ces dernières années sous deux formes : la résection ostéo-articulaire suspendue ou « amputation fonctionnelle » et le traitement purement médical faisant appel principalement aux antibiotiques. Le traitement médical de l’OPD a l’avantage de n’entraîner aucune lésion anatomique du pied. Il a l’inconvénient de faire appel à des molécules antibiotiques réputées efficaces dans le contexte particulier d’infection ostéo-articulaire chronique qui ont pour la plupart des molécules un effet de pression de sélection de la résistance bactérienne élevé et pour la plupart un potentiel toxique majoré par les co-morbidités fréquemment observées chez ces patients. En considérant les règles généralement admises pour le traitement des infections ostéo-articulaires, il apparait que le choix des antibiotiques doit idéalement être fondé sur les données de la culture d'un fragment osseux. Ceci représente cependant une approche nouvelle pour le traitement antibiotique de l'OPD. Nous montrerons dans ce travail les résultats de travaux publiés suggérant que:1) la biopsie osseuse transcutanée est une technique dénué de risque et actuellement la seule technique permettant une documentation fiable de l’OPD et que les prélèvements obtenus par écouvillonnage ou par ponction-aspiration ne peuvent être utilisés en remplacement de la biopsie osseuse (articles 1 et 2)2) les patients traités médicalement pour OPD ont plus de chance de guérir lorsque le traitement est fondé sur les résultats d'une biopsie osseuse (article 3) nque sur ceux de prélèvements superficiels3) la biopsie osseuse transcutanée n'est actuellement pratiquement pas utilisée dans la majorité des centres Français du pied diabétique. Enfin, nous présenterons les projets de 3 études sur le sujet de la biopsie osseuse en cours ou qui seront développées dans les mois à venir. / Diabetic foot osteomyelitis (DFO) is a complication of a foot wound located under malleoli. DFO usually occurs as a consequence of a chronic foot wound and is facilitated by neuropathy and peripheral vascular disease (PVD) which are both frequently associated with diabetes. OPD is rather an osteitis than an osteomyelitis as a hematogenous origin of DFO is almost not reported. DFO is an increasing worldwide problem which is related to the increasing number of patients with diabetes in the world. It is generally admitted that 15 to 25% of all patients with diabetes will experience a foot wound during their lifetime and that 40 to 80% of them will be infected. DFO has a deleterious effect on the wound healing and is associated with an enhanced risk for relapsing infection of the foot. DFO is with PVD a major cause for both minor and major limb amputations in these patients. DFO is first of all a bone and joint infection that occurs in a patient with diabetes. Complications of advanced diabetes mellitus like microvascular abnormalities and phagocytosis defects are likely to reduce the chance of healing. As most DFO are due to Staphylococcus aureus and that most of these patients have comorbidities, it has generally been thought that bone removal was required in order to obtain a complete healing. Minor amputation may however result in biomechanic disorders of the foot and subsequently may lead to new episodes of foot wound thus new DFO episodes. As a consequence, some authors have proposed to perform limited bone resections (i.e. without ray or toe amputation) or to use a medical approach of DFO (i.e. based on antibiotic therapy only). Medical treatment of DFO has the advantage to avoid the development of biomechanic alterations of the foot. However, given the high potential for selecting bacterial resistance of antimicrobial agents like rifampin and fluoroquinolones, it appears that the choice of the antibiotics to use should be best based on the microbiological testing of a bone culture which is consistent with the basic rules widely admitted for the medical treatment of any other bone and joint infections. This represents, nevertheless, a new approach of the treatment medical treatment of DFO. We will present in the present document the results of personal studies that suggest that 1) bone biopsy is a safe procedure and is currently the best method for obtained a reliable microbiological documentation of DFO and, in particular, that both swabs and needle aspiration cannot be used a surrogate tools for determining the pathogens involved in DFO (articles 1 and 2). 2) patients with DFO treated medically have a better chance to heal when the antibiotic therapy is guided by the results of a bone biopsy than when it is guided by superficial sample results (-article 3)3) bone biopsy is not used routinely used in most French diabetic foot centers (article 4). Finally, we will present 3 projects of study that are currently on process or will be developed in the next future.

Soft tissue infection in a diabetic foot with an ulcer is often clinically obvious but the diagnosis of osteomyelitis underlying a diabetic foot ulcer is challenging. It has been calculated that there are over 1 million amputations worldwide for diabetes related complications every year, many preceded by an ulcer complicated by osteomyelitis. <br /> This research encompasses two studies attempting to add to the ways in which osteomyelitis is diagnosed. <br /> The first was examining the role of inflammatory blood markers in recognising and separating ulcers with cutaneous infection from both suspected and proven osteomyelitis. The response of the body to produce these markers when an injury occurs is well known but arguments exist as to the capacity of the individual with diabetes to do so. Despite the recognition and allowance for common confounding factors no trend was found. This study may have been more difficult than originally thought due to the many interactions of the diseased state of diabetes, the drugs used to control it and the many other confounders that would have influenced the inflammatory process and as such the level of the markers. <br /> The second study was comparing a new form of scanning technique (SPECT/CT) to the technique most commonly used as a ‘gold standard’ – MRI. The results of each type of scan were compared to the clinical diagnosis and each other. The SPECT/CT scan appears to show some good results and may be a more suitable scan for individuals who are unable to have a MRI for example due to the need to introduce a renally excreted drug to help make the images clearer but it does mean introducing a small amount of radiation into the individual.

O design de calçados para a população com diabetes exige conhecimento e especialização, sensibilidade e técnica em um projeto que compreenda as delicadas necessidades e que procure trazer soluções aos problemas e dificuldades das pessoas usuárias acometidas por doença crônica. Nesse sentido, em um projeto desses calçados deve-se considerar as expectativas e realidade do público diabético para além da patologia em si, visando-se o conforto em sentido amplo e a satisfação do usuário. Nesta investigação, características do chamado pé diabético foram levantadas, assim como as respectivas necessidades para analisar o papel do design diante desse problema, visando-se projetivamente a saúde e conforto de usuários, bem como uma melhor noção de calçados de acordo com a situação de risco relacionado ao pé diabético e, principalmente, em relação à função preventiva contra lesões e respectivas complicações decorrentes do diabetes. Embora existam modelos de calçados que auxiliam na manutenção da saúde dos pés, observou-se que a população com diabetes desconhece sua existência e importância / The design of footwear for the population with diabetes requires knowledge and expertise, sensitivity and technique in a project that both comprehends the delicate needs and that looks for solutions to the issues and difficulties of the users who suffer from this chronic disease. Thereby, in a project of such a specific footwear one must consider the expectations and reality of the diabetic public beyond the pathology itself, aiming at the comfort in a broad sense and the satisfaction of the user perceived as a human being. In this investigation we have raised characteristics of the so-called diabetic foot and their respective needs to analyse the role of design in face of this problem. Besides, this project focus on the health and comfort of users, as well as a better notion of shoes according to the situation of risk related to the diabetic foot and, especially, in relation to the preventive function against injuries and respective complications of diabetes. Although models of footwear exist to help maintaining the feet healthy, it was observed that the diabetic population is unaware of its existence and importance

O design de calçados para a população com diabetes exige conhecimento e especialização, sensibilidade e técnica em um projeto que compreenda as delicadas necessidades e que procure trazer soluções aos problemas e dificuldades das pessoas usuárias acometidas por doença crônica. Nesse sentido, em um projeto desses calçados deve-se considerar as expectativas e realidade do público diabético para além da patologia em si, visando-se o conforto em sentido amplo e a satisfação do usuário. Nesta investigação, características do chamado pé diabético foram levantadas, assim como as respectivas necessidades para analisar o papel do design diante desse problema, visando-se projetivamente a saúde e conforto de usuários, bem como uma melhor noção de calçados de acordo com a situação de risco relacionado ao pé diabético e, principalmente, em relação à função preventiva contra lesões e respectivas complicações decorrentes do diabetes. Embora existam modelos de calçados que auxiliam na manutenção da saúde dos pés, observou-se que a população com diabetes desconhece sua existência e importância / The design of footwear for the population with diabetes requires knowledge and expertise, sensitivity and technique in a project that both comprehends the delicate needs and that looks for solutions to the issues and difficulties of the users who suffer from this chronic disease. Thereby, in a project of such a specific footwear one must consider the expectations and reality of the diabetic public beyond the pathology itself, aiming at the comfort in a broad sense and the satisfaction of the user perceived as a human being. In this investigation we have raised characteristics of the so-called diabetic foot and their respective needs to analyse the role of design in face of this problem. Besides, this project focus on the health and comfort of users, as well as a better notion of shoes according to the situation of risk related to the diabetic foot and, especially, in relation to the preventive function against injuries and respective complications of diabetes. Although models of footwear exist to help maintaining the feet healthy, it was observed that the diabetic population is unaware of its existence and importance

Objectives: The objectives of the research were to determine which intravenous (IV) antibiotics were cost-effective in Diabetic Foot Infections (DFIs) and to assess the impact of MRSA prevalence on clinical outcome. Methods: A Cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) was performed on IV antibiotics used to treat moderate to severe DFIs in hospitalized patients. MRSA prevalence was taken into account by calculating an ‘Adjusted cure rate’ and re-analysing the CEA. Results: In the original CEA, imipenem/cilastatin was the cost-effective agent. When MRSA prevalence was taken into account imipenem/cilastatin, moxifloxacin, cefoxitin and ertapenem were cost-effective antibiotics. Conclusion: MRSA prevalence adjustments changed the results of the CEA and included classes of IV antibiotics that are seen being using in practice, such as fluoroquinolones and cephalosporins. These methods could potentially have an impact on the evaluation of clinical cure rates and resistance when evaluating the literature.