Abstract
ObjectivesDiabetic foot ulcer is one of the complications of diabetes mellitus. The diabetic patients with foot infections especially gangrene require long-term hospitalization and carry the risk of limb amputation. Despite these challenges, there are a scarce studies done on risk factors and no finding on outcomes of diabetic foot ulcers in Ethiopia.Patients and methodsA prospective observational study was conducted among diabetes patients with diabetic foot ulcer at Nekemte referral hospital from March 15 to June 15, 2018.ResultsOf the 115 diabetes foot ulcer patients admitted to Nekemte referral hospital, 64(55.65%) were males and the mean age of participants was 44.4 ± 14.7 years. Fifty-eight (50.43%) of the patients had chronic health problems and 56(48.69%) had diabetic complications. Of patients with complications, 35(30.43%) were undergone amputations. Diabetic foot ulcer grade ≥4 (AOR = 1.7; 95% CI: 1.604, 4.789), inappropriate antibiotics use (AOR = 2.526; 95% CI: 1.767, 8.314), overweight (AOR = 2.767; 95% CI: 1.827, 9.252), obesity (AOR = 3.020; 95% CI: 2.556, 16.397), poor blood glucose control (AOR = 2.592; 95% CI: 1.937, 7.168) and neuropathy (AOR = 1.565; 95% CI: 1.508, 4.822) were predictors of amputation up on multivariable logistic regression analysis.ConclusionBlood glucose level, higher body mass index, inappropriate antibiotics use, neuropathy and advanced grade of diabetic foot ulcer were independent predictors of amputation. Thus, special emphasis for patients having neuropathy and advanced grade of diabetic foot ulcer as well as weight reduction, managing hyperglycaemia, and appropriate antibiotics prescription practice would decrease untoward effects of diabetic foot ulcer.
Highlights
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a non-communicable disease and one of the most common chronic diseases [1]
115 diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) patients were admitted to the Nekemte referral hospital (NRH) and 64(55.65%) were males
This study found that almost half of the patients had poor glycaemic control and revealed that poor blood glucose control patients were more likely to be amputated as compared with those who had good blood glucose control
Summary
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a non-communicable disease and one of the most common chronic diseases [1]. Complications of DM become a major public health problem in all countries [3] It is characterized by multiple long-term complications affecting almost every system in the body and often leads to blindness, heart and blood vessel disease, stroke, kidney failure, amputations, and nerve damage [4]. Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is present in approximately one-half of all patients with foot ulcers and considered an important predictor of outcome [5]. Patients in whom their foot ulcer progressed to diabetic foot infections suffer from prolonged hospitalization and leads to amputations of their foot which increases the rates of mortality [6]. Patients with diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) have restrictions on mobility, poor psychosocial
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