A Retrospective Analysis of Amputation Rates and Comorbidity in Patients with Diabetic Foot Ulcer

Abstract

Abstract Diabetic foot ulcers cause elongated hospitalisations with high treatment costs and high rates of lower extremity amputations resulting with increased morbidity and decreased quality of life. The aim of this study was to determine amputation rate in patients admitted to our hospital with the diagnosis of diabetic foot and the most common risk factors in patients with diabetic foot ulcers. 131 patients admitted to outpatient clinics of Izmir Katip Celebi University Ataturk Training and Research Hospital between January 2011 and December 2011 with the diagnosis of diabetic foot ulcer were retrospectively analyzed. Of these 96 were males and 35 were females. Age, gender, smoking and alcohol habits, comorbid diseases, presence of infection, growth of microorganism in medium, presence of leukocytes, hypertension, method of treatment and regimes of antibiotics are recorded. Mean age was 61,1 ( 26-90). Patients are divided into two groups according to treatment protocols, first group was consist of debriated and medicaly treated patients, while the second group covered amputated patients. 66 were amputated and the rest 65 had debridement-wound care and antibiotherapy after they were evaluated in the diabetic foot council of our hospital. Rate of amputation was 50 %. 36 of the amputated patients had major and the others had minor amputations. Most common comorbidities that related and nonrelated to diabetes were peripheral arterial disease ( 102 out of 131; 77% ) and hypertension ( 50 out of 131; 38% ); respectively. Grading of diabetic ulcers according to Wagner-Meggit classification yielded that most commonly seen wounds were grade 4 in the amputation group and grade 2 in the debridement group. According to pathophysiological classification most common cause were ischemic wounds in both groups. Compared to the literature, our amputation rates are higher. This issue can be attributed to high rates of comorbid factors, higher age and irregular follow-up. Key words: diabetic foot, amputation, comorbidity