From Ulceration to Diabetic Foot Amputation: A State of the Art Review

Abstract

Abstract Diabetic foot is the term used to describe the lesions that can occur in the diabetic patient´s foot. This paper focuses on a review of the state of the art about risk factors for ulceration and predictors of non-adherence to foot self-care behaviors, in patients with diabetes and diabetic foot. Literature consistently shows that diabetic foot ulcers are common in patients with diabetic foot and may culminate in a lower limb amputation. Several studies emphasize the difficulties of foot care adherence, identifying the associated sociodemographic and clinical risk factors as well as the individual, clinical, and health care predictors of adherence and non adherence. According to the review of the literature, interventions should be focused on promoting adherence to foot self-care behaviors in order to avoid ulceration, re-ulceration and amputation, taking into account the modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors. Keywords: Diabetic foot ulcer, Adherence, Self-care behaviours, Amputation.