An aggressive and multi-pronged approach to prevent amputations in India

Abstract

Foot complications are a major cause of hospitalization in diabetes. Diabetic foot ulceration results from decreased blood supply, poor weight-bearing, loss of sensation and poor foot care. Foot complications both increase the health care costs and pose a heavy socioeconomic burden. A study from India reported that the cost of diabetes care for a patient with foot ulcers was more than 4 times higher (INR 19 020; US$409) than that for a patient without foot ulcers (INR 4493; US$97) [1]. In India, most of the patients undergo major or minor amputations due to the failure of antimicrobial therapy against infections. The causes of amputations may vary based on geographical variations. An earlier hospitalbased multi-centric study to determine the prevalence of diabetic foot in India reported that the prevalence of foot infection among diabetic patients was 6–11 % and that of amputation was 3 % [2]. Another multicentric study involving 31 study sites across India reported that major amputations comprised about 29.1 % and minor amputations 70.9 % among diabetic patients with foot infection, and 82 % of them had neuropathy and 35 % had peripheral vascular disease. This study also observed that infection was a significant cause of amputation in approximately 90 % of the study population [3]. The study of Durgad et al. [4 ]e mphasizes the microbial etiology of diabetic foot ulcers and their susceptibility patterns. They studied 70 diabetics and isolated 147 organisms from wound swabs and pus aspirates. About 42 % of the diabetic patients were in poor glycemic control and more than 50 % of patients studied had more serious form of infection as indicated by Wagner’ sg rade 3–5 lesions. Out of 70 diabetics, 73 % of patients were infected by the polymicrobial infection and the microbiological analysis revealed the high proportion of gram negative bacilli (57 %) compared to gram positive cocci (27 %). Among gram positive cocci, 23 % of Staphylococcus aureus isolates and 17 % of coagulase negative Staphylococcal isolates were found to be methicillin resistant. As to gram negative bacilli, 23 % of isolate belonged to the Enterobacteriaceae family and were extended spectrum beta lactamase producers. The high prevalence of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) in the clinical settings, increase the extent of hospitalization and cost of management. These data report the prevailing existence of MDROs in the tertiary clinical settings and the diabetic patient’s vul