Ulcer Characteristics Research Articles

Anemia in patients with diabetic foot ulcer and its impact on disease outcome among Nigerians: Results from the MEDFUN study.

BackgroundDiabetes is a life-long and debilitating disease that is fraught with both acute and chronic complications. Of particular concern to sufferers of the disease is the development of foot problems. These problems range from foot deformities to slowly healing or non-healing ulcers (that may necessitate amputation) and in the worst-case scenario, to death. Identification and prompt treatment of comorbid conditions, such as anemia may improve outcome in patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFU). We determined the prevalence of anemia in Nigerians with DFU and its impact on disease outcome.MethodsWe prospectively followed 336 patients with diabetes hospitalized for DFU and managed by a multidisciplinary team until discharge or death. Demographic and diabetes-related information and ulcer characteristics were documented. We evaluated each patient for neuropathy, vasculopathy and medical co-morbidities. Relevant laboratory and imaging studies were performed. We present the results of the sub-group analysis of patients with anemia to determine its prevalence and impact on disease outcome in patients with DFU in the MEDFUN study.ResultsAnemia was detected in 180(53.6%) subjects with 88(48.9%) of them requiring blood transfusion. Significant demographic and clinical determinants of anemia were ulcer duration more than one month prior to hospitalization (p<0.009), PAD (p<0.001) and presence of gangrene (p<0.001). The comorbid conditions that were significantly associated with anemia included proteinuria (p<0.003), osteomyelitis (p<0.006), moderate (p<0.002) as well as severe (p<0.001) vascular stenosis, history of stroke (p<0.014) and renal impairment (p<0.002). Anemia was significantly associated with poor wound healing (p<0.009), amputation (p<0.036) and risk of death (p<0.034).ConclusionWe detected anemia in more than half of our cohort with DFU. We found significant association between anemia and poor wound healing, amputation and mortality among our studied subjects. Future studies should explore whether prompt correction of anemia in subjects hospitalized for DFU would improve outcome.

Morphological characteristics of postoperative acute perforated ulcers of the small bowel

The basic morphological characteristics of acute postoperative perforated ulcers of the small intestine were presented by analyzing cases of patients with this postoperative complication. It was determined that in the majority of patients (69,4%) the complication occurred after operations for various types of oncological diseases. Found a significant increase in the frequency of occurrence of this pathology over the past 2 decades by 8 times. The following macroscopic characteristics were revealed: in the majority of patients (83,9%), isolated perforations were initially encountered, but in almost half of the cases (46,7%) there were recurrence. The «favorite» dates of occurrence are 4-10th day and the «favorite» localization in different parts of the small intestine are from 101 to 151 cm from the ligament of Treitz (47,7%) and 51-100 cm from the ligament of Treitz (21,8%). Microscopy of the resected areas of the small intestine besides inflammatory changes in the layers of bowel wall in 100% of cases showed significant dyscirculatory changes: on the side of the submucosal layer the plethora and development of the erythrocyte sludge - 100%, vascular thrombosis - 45,5%, hemorrhagic soaking - 27,3%. Inflammatory changes were nonspecific with a predominance of various inflammatory phases: alterative (desquamation and necrosis of the epithelium of the villi), exudative (moderate to massive neutrophilic infiltration) and proliferative (proliferation of granulation tissue followed by fibrosis and lipomatosis wall). In addition, a histological study of areas of the small intestine affected by acute perforative ulcers revealed that the mucous was primarily damaged.Key words: acute ulcers of the small intestine, non-specific ulcers of the small intestine, perforation of the small intestine, peritonitis, operations on the abdominal and pelvic organs, relaparotomy, closure of the small intestine, resection of the small intestine.

Digital ulcers in systemic sclerosis: their epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and associated clinical and economic burden

BackgroundTo determine the frequency and clinical characteristics of systemic sclerosis-related digital ulcers, and associated direct health care costs, quality of life, and survival.MethodsDigital ulcers (DUs) were defined as an area with a visually discernible depth and a loss of continuity of epithelial coverage. DU severity was calculated based on the physician reported highest number of new DUs at clinical review (mild = 1–5 DUs, moderate 6–10 DUs, severe > 10 DUs). Healthcare use was captured through data linkage, wherein SSc clinical data captured prospectively in a dedicated clinical database were linked with health services databases to capture hospital admissions, emergency department (ED) presentations and ambulatory care (MBS) utilization and cost for the period 2008–2015. Healthcare cost determinants were estimated using logistic regression.ResultsAmong 1085 SSc patients, 48.6% experienced a DU over a mean follow-up of 5.2 ± 2.5 years. Those who developed DUs were more likely to have diffuse disease subtype (34.9% vs 18.2%, p < 0.001), anti-Scl-70 antibody (18.9% vs 9.3%, p < 0.001), and a younger age at SSc onset (43.6 ± 13.9 vs 48.8 ± 14.0 years, p < 0.001) in addition to reduced health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measured by the SF-36 but without a significant impact on survival. SSc patients with a history of a DU utilized significantly more healthcare resources per annum than those without a DU, including hospitalizations, ED presentation, and ambulatory care services. Total healthcare services, excluding medications, were associated with an annual excess cost per DU patient of AUD$12,474 (8574-25,677), p < 0.001, driven by hospital admission and ED presentation costs.ConclusionDUs place a large burden on the patient and healthcare system through reduced HRQoL and increased healthcare resource utilization and associated cost.

Application of International Best Practice Guideline in Diabetic Ulcer Patients

Background: Diabetic ulcer is one of the complications of Diabetes mellitus. Assessment of diabetic ulcers is done as a basis in determining wound care and therapy provided so that it needs to know its characteristics.Purpose: This study was to determine the characteristics of wounds assessment tools diabetic ulcer International Best Practice Guideline (IBPG).Method: The study design was descriptive with a case study approach, the sampling technique was purposive sampling carried out in May 2019 with three respondents. The instrument used is the wound assessment tool International Best Practice Guideline which contains: sensation, callus, wound base, temperature and location.Results: Respondents 1 experienced neuroiskemic injuries. Respondent 2 suffered neuropathic injuries and Respondent 3 had ischemic injury.Conclusion: Characteristics of ulcers based on the International Best Practice Guidelines respectively, neuroiskemic, neuropathic and ischemic ulcers. Health workers are expected to apply a more detailed assessment of diabetic ulcers so that they can determine the appropriate treatment.

RISK FACTORS FOR DIABETIC FOOT AND LOWER LIMB AMPUTATION

Introduction: Diabetic foot syndrome (DFS) is the major cause of hospitalization for diabetes-related complications. Protective sensation loss and impaired vision increase the susceptibility for minor feet trauma, which results in diabetic foot ulceration with or without subsequent infection. Peripheral arterial disease is a major cause of impaired ulcer, wound healing and gangrenous diabetic foot. The most important intervention to prevent diabetic foot ulceration and its consequences is early recognition of high-risk patients and their risk factors and referral to appropriate medical departments. There are various risk factors for major lower extremity amputations related to diabetic foot, which includes microvascular diseases, infections, long duration of diabetes, poor glycemic control, peripheral arterial disease, old age and associated cardiovascular comorbidities.&#x0D; Material and Methods: This study was done on the review of medical records of consecutive type 2 diabetic patients. Admitted patients were treated and managed according to the standard protocol of the hospital. History, clinical and physical examination were carried out on each patient. Ulcer characteristics like infection and depth of the ulcer, site of ulcer were assessed. Associated diabetic neuropathy and peripheral arterial disease was assessed by a clinical method. Age, sex, body mass index (BMI), smoking, duration of diabetes, diabetic control therapy, associated hypertension, cardiac diseases were recorded. The glycated haemoglobin level (HbA1c) were recorded.&#x0D; Results: A total of 128 patients with diabetic foot were included in the study of which 76(59.4%) were male and 52(40.6%) were female. Of the 76 male 6 (4.7%) had major amputation and out of 52 female 4(3.1%) had major amputation, thus total number of major amputations were 10(7.8%). Statistically significant difference was observed in HbA1C and duration of diabetes group in amputation. High HbA1C and more duration of diabetes was associated with the higher number of amputation. The rate of amputation was much higher among patients hypertension, smoking, cardiac diseases and stroke. Conclusion: Poor glycemic controls and duration of diabetes are the important independent risk factors for diabetes-related major lower extremity amputations.&#x0D; Keywords: DFS, BMI, smkoing, DM

Deep Convolutional Neural Network for Ulcer Recognition in Wireless Capsule Endoscopy: Experimental Feasibility and Optimization.

Wireless capsule endoscopy (WCE) has developed rapidly over the last several years and now enables physicians to examine the gastrointestinal tract without surgical operation. However, a large number of images must be analyzed to obtain a diagnosis. Deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have demonstrated impressive performance in different computer vision tasks. Thus, in this work, we aim to explore the feasibility of deep learning for ulcer recognition and optimize a CNN-based ulcer recognition architecture for WCE images. By analyzing the ulcer recognition task and characteristics of classic deep learning networks, we propose a HAnet architecture that uses ResNet-34 as the base network and fuses hyper features from the shallow layer with deep features in deeper layers to provide final diagnostic decisions. 1,416 independent WCE videos are collected for this study. The overall test accuracy of our HAnet is 92.05%, and its sensitivity and specificity are 91.64% and 92.42%, respectively. According to our comparisons of F1, F2, and ROC-AUC, the proposed method performs better than several off-the-shelf CNN models, including VGG, DenseNet, and Inception-ResNet-v2, and classical machine learning methods with handcrafted features for WCE image classification. Overall, this study demonstrates that recognizing ulcers in WCE images via the deep CNN method is feasible and could help reduce the tedious image reading work of physicians. Moreover, our HAnet architecture tailored for this problem gives a fine choice for the design of network structure.

ASSESSMENT OF PREVALENCE, PREDISPOSING FACTORS, ETIOLOGY AND TREATMENT OF CORNEAL ULCER PATIENTS

A corneal ulcer is a painful open sore on the cornea that can cause loss of vision and even blindness. The aim the study is to assess the prevalence, predisposing factors, etiology and treatment of corneal ulcer patients. 100 patients with corneal ulcer were included in the study. A detailed history with socio-demographic information, presenting complaints, predisposing factors, associated risk factors followed by drug therapy was noted carefully. Gender wise distribution showed that males (61%) were mostly affected by corneal ulcer as compared to females (39%). Occupation wise distribution showed that farmers (38%) were affected more as compared to others. Most commonly affected age group was between 41-60 years and majority of affected people were from rural areas (75%). Based on severity of the diseased condition, majority (39%) were diagnosed severe followed by mild (34%) to moderate (27%) among all corneal ulcer patients. The most common predisposing risk factor found for corneal ulcer was ocular trauma (42%). Bacterial infections (44%) were found more commonly than fungal infections (35%) and other causes. Antibiotics were mostly prescribed (44%) followed by traditional eye medicines (23%) and antifungal (16%) drugs. Such comprehensive studies are important to assess the specific epidemiological characteristics of corneal ulceration and are also necessary to define the magnitude of the problem in society, to design an efficient public health program for rapid referral, diagnosis, treatment, and to prevent corneal ulceration in the population at risk, especially in the developing nations.

Discoidin domain receptors: A promising target in melanoma.

The discoidin domain receptor 1 (DDR1) is a member of the receptor tyrosine kinase family that signals in response to collagen and that has been implicated in cancer progression. In the present study, we investigated the expression and role of DDR1 in human melanoma progression. Immunohistochemical staining of human melanoma specimens (n=52) shows high DDR1 expression in melanoma lesions that correlates with poor prognosis. DDR1 expression was associated with the clinical characteristics of Clark level and ulceration and with BRAF mutations. Downregulation of DDR1 by small interfering RNA (siRNA) in vitro inhibited melanoma cells malignant properties, migration, invasion, and survival in several human melanoma cell lines. A DDR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (DDR1-IN-1) significantly inhibited melanoma cell proliferation in vitro, and ex vivo and in tumor xenografts, underlining the promising potential of DDR1 inhibition in melanoma.

Pro-Calcitonin, Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate and C - reactive Protein in Predicting Diabetic Foot Ulcer Characteristics; a Cross Sectional Study.

Considering the importance of early diagnosis of diabetic foot ulcers and its complications, this study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C - reactive protein (CRP), and pro-calcitonin (PCT) in predicting the ulcer class, osteomyelitis, and peripheral arterial disease (PAD). This cross-sectional study was performed on 200 consecutive patients suffering from diabetic foot ulcer who were referred to Infectious Disease Ward. The levels of PCT, ESR, and CRP were measured for all patients and the screening performance characteristics of each marker in predicting the ulcer class, osteomyelitis, and PAD was calculated. The levels of PCT, ESR and CRP were significantly higher in patients with class IV foot ulcer compared to those with class III ulcers (p<0.001). Patients with evidence of osteomyelitis had significantly higher level of PCT, ESR and CRP. The best cutoff points of PCT, ESR and CRP in predicting osteomyelitis were 0.35 ng/ml (86.1% sensitivity, 45.3% specificity), 56.5 mm/hours (95.8% sensitivity, and 50.0% specificity) and 44 mg/ml (90.3% sensitivity, 57.0% specificity), respectively. The presence of PAD was significantly associated with increased levels of the three biomarkers. The best cutoff values for PCT, ESR and CRP in predicting PAD were 0.45 (70.8% sensitivity, 71.7% specificity), 61.5 (83.3% sensitivity, 52.0% specificity) and 49 (83.3% sensitivity, 63.8% specificity), respectively. Based on the findings of the present study, although the accuracy of PCT, ESR, and CRP in predicting the severity of diabetic foot ulcers was fair, increase in the three parameters can predict the occurrence of osteomyelitis and PAD following diabetic food development with good accuracy and acceptable sensitivity.

Management of urethrocutaneous fistulae complicating sacral and perineal pressure ulcer in neurourological patients: A national multicenter study from the French-speaking Neuro-urology Study Group and the Neuro-urology committee of the French Association of Urology.

To describe the epidemiologic characteristics of urethrocutaneous fistulae (UCF) in sacro-perineal pressure ulcer (SPPU) in neurourological patients and to assess outcomes after surgical urinary diversion. Through the French-speaking Neurourology Study Group and Association of Urology network, a retrospective multicenter study in nine major urology and physical medicine and rehabilitation (PMR) units was conducted. All patients with SPPU associated with UCF between 2000 and 2016 were included. Data concerning: sociodemography, clinical, medical and biological comorbidities, neurological and urological history, pressure ulcer characteristics, and finally urinary diversion surgery were collected. Complications and SPPU healing/relapse were assessed. In all, 74 patients were included. The median age on diagnosis: 45.9 years (interquartile range [IQR], 38.7-53.4) and median follow-up: 15.1 months (IQR, 5.7-48.8). A psychiatric disorder was the most frequent comorbidity (44.6%). Only 59.5% and 50% had regular PMR and urologic follow-up, respectively. Seventy-one patients (95.9%) underwent urinary diversion surgery. Among those, relapse occurred in 15 (21.1%) at the end of the follow-up. The diversion was noncontinent in 85.9%. The major complications rate was 26.8%. A total of 30 late complications in 21 patients were reported. The most frequent was obstructive pyelonephritis (n = 9). All of the patients who underwent surgical diversion without cystectomy (n = 5) developed a pyocyst. Finally, the pressure ulcer healing rate when patients underwent both urinary diversion and pressure ulcer surgery was 74.4%. Our retrospective data suggest that UCF complicating SPPU is a rare and severe pathology. The combination of radical urinary diversion with cystectomy and pressure ulcer surgery should be performed as often as possible.

Clinical characteristics and risk factors of ulceration over tophi in patients with gout.

To describe clinical characteristics of ulceration over tophi in patients with gout and determine risk factors associated with ulceration. Patients presenting with tophi or ulceration(s) over tophi were prospectively recruited and their clinical characteristics were recorded. Comparison of clinical characteristics and risk factors for ulceration were analyzed between groups. A total of 105 patients were enrolled. Thirty-three patients with ulcerations were older, with prolonged duration with gout and tophi, a higher rate of obesity, greater numbers of tophi, lower levels of glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and higher levels of serum creatinine, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein. The mean duration of ulceration was 1.63±2.32months. The ulcerations were mainly located in the ankle (34.21%) and metatarsophalangeal joints (39.47%), with a mean size of 32.37×22.76mm. The majority of ulcerations were categorized as stage I (42.4%) and stage II (51.5%). In univariate regression analysis, age, glucocorticoid overuse, gout duration, tophi duration, tophi number and GFR were associated with ulceration. In the multivariable model, significant differences were demonstrated in glucocorticoid overuse, tophi duration, tophi number. Gout patients with ulceration(s) over tophi present several different aspects of clinical characteristics compared with those without ulceration. The ulcerations are most commonly seen in feet and they are mainly categorized as stages I and II. Glucocorticoid overuse, prolonged duration with tophi and greater numbers of tophi are risk factors for ulceration over tophi.

Risk Factors for Major Amputation on Hindfoot Ulcers in Hospitalized Diabetic Patients.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the risk factors for major amputation in patients hospitalized with diabetic foot ulcers involving the hindfoot. Approach: Between January 2003 and October 2017, a total of 1,657 diabetic patients were admitted to the diabetic wound center of Korea University Guro Hospital, for the management of foot ulcers. Among the admitted patients, 117 diabetic patients with hindfoot ulcers were included in this study. One hundred and four patients (89%) healed without major amputation, while 13 patients (11%) healed with major amputation. Data related to 88 potential risk factors, including demographics, ulcer condition, vascularity, bioburden, neurology, and serology, were collected from patients in these two groups for comparison. Results: Among the 88 potential risk factors, 15 showed statistically significant differences between the two groups. In univariate analysis of 88 potential risk factors, nine showed statistically significant differences. In stepwise multiple logistic regression analysis, three of the nine risk factors remained statistically significant. Multivariate-adjusted odds ratios for pulmonary disorders, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) levels, and total iron-binding capacity (TIBC) levels were 38.525, 1.047, and 0.976, respectively. Innovation: Compared with forefoot and midfoot ulcers, diabetic foot ulcers involving the hindfoot are at increased risk of major amputation because infection may spread proximal to the ankle. However, large-scale cohort studies that specifically discuss the outcomes and characteristics of diabetic hindfoot ulcers are not widely available. Conclusion: Risk factors for major amputation in patients hospitalized with diabetic hindfoot ulcers include pulmonary disorders, high levels of ESR, and decreased TIBC levels.

Characteristics Influencing the Occurrence of Respiratory Medical Device-related Pressure Ulcers in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

This prospective study was conducted to determine the incidence and related characteristics of respiratory medical device-related pressure ulcers (MDRPU) in children admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). The participants were 184 children who were admitted to the PICU of P University Hospital from April 2016 to January 2017. Data were collected on the occurrence of respiratory MDRPU and characteristics regarding the application of respiratory medical devices. Respiratory MDRPU occurred in 11.9% of participants (58.3%: stage I ulcers, 37.5%: mucosal ulcers). The devices associated with respiratory MDRPU were endotracheal tubes (54.2%), high-flow nasal cannulas (37.5%), and oximetry probes (8.3%). Respiratory MDRPU associated with an endotracheal tube were significant differences according to the site and strength of fixation, the use of a bite block and adhesive tape, skin dryness, and edema. In high-flow nasal cannulas, significant differences were found according to the site of fixation, immobility after fixation, and skin dryness. The occurrence of respiratory MDRPU is significantly affected by the method and strength of fixation, as well as skin dryness and edema. Therefore, appropriate consideration of these factors in nursing care can help prevent respiratory MDRPU.

Abstract #295 Epidemiologic and Clinical Characteristics of Diabetic Foot Ulcers – Report From South West Nigeria

Abstract #295 Epidemiologic and Clinical Characteristics of Diabetic Foot Ulcers – Report From South West Nigeria

Predictors of lower extremity amputation in patients with diabetic foot ulcer

Background: Diabetic foot lesions are responsible for more hospitalisations than any other complication of diabetes and diabetes is a predominant aetiology for non-traumatic lower extremity amputations. Authors, therefore, examined the clinical characteristics that best predict poor outcome in a large population of diabetic foot ulcer patients. The objective of the study was to describe independent predictors for lower extremity amputation in patients with a diabetic foot ulcer and to validate the predictive value of PEDIS (IWGDF) classification system for a diabetic foot ulcer.Methods: A retrospective study of 197 patients presenting with diabetic foot ulcer presenting to a tertiary care hospital in Mysuru, India. The recorded parameters were age, sex, various risk factors, laboratory parameters, the presence of DM-related complications and ulcer characteristics as determined by PEDIS system. The main outcomes recorded were healed ulcer and amputation.Results: Authors have found that factors strongly associated with risk of amputation are (in order of strength): PVD, past amputation, nephropathy, past ulcer, ulcer duration, TLC, Hb and sr. creatinine. Authors also validated the PEDIS scoring system as an effective classification system with prognostic value. The PEDIS score of &gt;7 is a highly significant predictor of adverse outcome (amputation) of diabetic foot ulcer.Conclusions: Several risk factors for lower extremity amputation in a patient with diabetic foot ulcer were identified. An integrated risk-assessment model including the above significant risk factors and PEDIS system can be developed that is both clinically accurate as well as quick to assess for predicting the adverse outcome in a patient of diabetic foot ulcer and providing an opportunity to save the limb.

Burden of diabetic foot ulcer in Nigeria: Current evidence from the multicenter evaluation of diabetic foot ulcer in Nigeria.

BACKGROUNDNigeria bears the greatest burden of diabetes prevalence in Sub-Saharan Africa. Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is a serious and potentially life-threatening complication of diabetes. Significant improvements in diabetic foot incidence and outcomes have been recorded in many Western countries in the past decade. However, the current burden of DFU in Nigeria is largely unknown.AIMTo evaluate the patients’ profile, ulcer characteristics, associated co-morbidities and outcome of patients with DFU in Nigeria.METHODSMulticenter evaluation of diabetic foot ulcer in Nigeria was a one year multicenter observational study of patients hospitalized for DFU in six tertiary health institutions in Nigeria from March 2016 to March 2017. Demographic and diabetes information, ulcer characteristics and associated co-morbidities were assessed. Relevant laboratory and imaging studies were performed. All patients received appropriate multi-disciplinary care and were followed up until discharge or death. Outcome variables of interest were ulcer healing, lower extremity amputation (LEA), duration of hospitalization and mortality.RESULTSA total of 336 patients (55.1% male) with mean age of 55.9 ± 12.5 years were enrolled into this study. Majority (96.1%) had type 2 diabetes. Only 25.9% of the subjects had prior foot care knowledge. Most of the subjects presented late to the hospital and median (IQR) duration of ulcer at presentation was 39 (28-54) d. Ulcers were already advanced (Wagner grades ≥ 3) in 79.2% of the subjects while 76.8% of the ulcers were infected at the time of admission. The commonest co-morbidities were systemic hypertension, anemia and hyperglycemic emergencies. One hundred and nineteen subjects (35.4%) suffered LEA while 10.4% left against medical advice. The median (IQR) duration of hospitalization was 52.0 (29-66) d with case fatality rate of 20.5%.CONCLUSIONThe burden of DFU in Nigeria is very high. The major gaps include low level of foot care knowledge among diabetic patients, overdependence on self-medication and unorthodox medicine following development of foot ulceration, late hospital presentation, and high amputation and mortality rates. Extensive foot care education within the framework of a multi-disciplinary foot care team is highly desirable.

Pattern and microbiological characteristics of diabetic foot ulcers in a Nigerian tertiary hospital.

To determine the pattern and bacteriological characteristics of diabetic foot ulcers in patients attending a tertiary health care facility. 160 Patients with Diabetes Mellitus foot syndrome were recruited, out of which 52 had diabetic foot ulcers. Relevant clinical, biochemical, and microbiological evaluations were carried out on the subjects. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 20. p value was set at <0.05. 52 (32.5%) out of 160 subjects with Diabetes Mellitus Foot Syndrome (DMFS) had diabetic foot ulcers. Poor glycaemic control (mean HbA1c = 9.2 (2.7) %), and abuse of antibiotics (76.9%) characterized the subjects. Foot ulcers mainly involved the right lower limb and followed spontaneous blister formation (50%). Microbiological culture pattern was polymicrobial (71.2%); predominantly anaerobic organisms (53.3%). Gram positive and negative aerobic isolates yielded high sensitivity to common quinolones (76% - 87.8%). The gram positive and negative anaerobic isolates were highly sensitive to Clindamycin and Metronidazole respectively (80.2% - 97.8%). High sensitivity (>80%) yield for gram negative anaerobes was recorded for Imipinem and Ampicillin/Sulbactam. Diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) contribute about one-third of DMFS. The bacteriological isolates from these ulcers are mainly polymicrobial with high sensitivity to common antibiotics. The need for appropriate use of antibiotics should be advocated among the patients.

Potential prognostic factors for delayed healing of common, non-traumatic skin ulcers: A scoping review.

Healing of non‐traumatic skin ulcers is often suboptimal. Prognostic tools that identify people at high risk of delayed healing within the context of routine ulcer assessments may improve this, but robust evidence on which factors to include is lacking. Therefore, we scoped the literature to identify which potentially prognostic factors may warrant future systematic reviews and meta‐analyses. We conducted electronic searches in MEDLINE and Embase to identify studies in English published between 1997 and 2017 that tested the association between healing of the three most common non‐traumatic skin ulcers encountered by health care professionals (venous leg, diabetic foot, and pressure ulcers) and patient characteristics, ulcer characteristics, and results from clinical investigations. We included 42 studies that investigated factors which may be associated with the healing of venous leg ulcers (n = 17), diabetic foot ulcers (n = 15), and pressure ulcers (n = 10). Across ulcer types, ulcer characteristics were most commonly reported as potential prognostic factors for healing (n = 37), including the size of the ulcer area (n = 29) and ulcer duration at first assessment (n = 16). A total of 35 studies investigated the prognostic value of patient characteristics (n = 35), including age (n = 31), gender (n = 30), diabetes (n = 22), smoking status (n = 15), and history of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) (n = 13). Of these studies, 23 reported results from clinical investigations as potential prognostic factors, with the majority regarding vessel quality. Age, gender, diabetes, smoking status, history of DVT, ulcer area, and ulcer duration at time of first assessment warrant a systematic review and meta‐analysis to quantify their prognostic value for delayed ulcer healing.

The prevalence of pressure ulcers in community-dwelling older adults: A study in an Indonesian city.

The objectives of this study were to investigate the prevalence and the characteristics of pressure ulcers (PU) in community‐dwelling older adults in Indonesia, including specific characteristics of the PU patients and their use of formal and informal care. A cross‐sectional design was used for the study, with 325 participants aged 60 years or older, randomly chosen from the general community. The overall PU prevalence and the PU prevalence excluding category 1 were 10.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.8‐15.8) and 5.2% (95% CI 0.2‐10.2), respectively. Category 1 PUs were mostly (34.3%) located on knees and toes, while category 2 and higher PUs were mostly (70.4%) located on the shoulder, sacrum, and hip. The main factors that contributed strongly to PUs among older adults in the community were the degree of physical activity, problems with sensory perception, and having a history of stroke. None of the participants with a PU received wound care or information about PUs from formal caregivers and only 11.4% received wound care from family caregivers. This study shows that pressure ulcers in community‐dwelling older adults in Indonesia are a relevant and largely unaddressed problem. Developing an intervention program to manage the PU problem in the community is recommended.

Predictors of lower extremity amputation in patients with diabetic foot ulcer: findings from MEDFUN, a multi-center observational study

BackgroundLower extremity amputation (LEA) is a potential sequelae of diabetic foot ulceration (DFU) and is associated with huge morbidly and mortality. Low and middle income countries are currently at the greatest risk of diabetes-related complications and deaths. We sought to identify demographic, clinical and laboratory variables that significantly predict LEA in patients hospitalized for DFU.MethodsThe Multi-center Evaluation of Diabetic Foot Ulcer in Nigeria (MEDFUN) was an observational study conducted between March 2016 and April 2017 in six tertiary healthcare institutions. We prospectively followed 336 diabetic patients hospitalized for DFU and managed by a multidisciplinary team until discharge or death. Demographic and diabetes-related information and ulcer characteristics were documented. Patients were evaluated for neuropathy, peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and medical co-morbidities while relevant laboratory and imaging tests were performed. The study end-points were ulcer healing, LEA, duration of hospitalization and mortality. Here we present data on amputation.ResultsOne hundred and nineteen subjects (35.4%) underwent LEA during the follow-up period. Univariate predictors of LEA were ulcer duration more than 1 month prior to hospitalization (P < 0.001), PAD (P < 0.001), Wagner grade ≥ 4 (P < 0.001), wound infection (P 0.041), Proteinuria (P 0.021), leucocytosis (P 0.001) and osteomyelitis (P < 0.001). On multivariate regression, only three variables emerged as significant independent predictors of LEA and these include: ulcer duration more than 1 month (O.R. 10.3, 95% C.I. 4.055–26.132), PAD (O.R. 2.8, 95% C.I. 1.520–5.110) and presence of osteomyelitis (O.R. 5.6, 95% C.I. 2.930–10.776). Age, gender, diabetes type and duration, neuropathy, glycemic control and anemia did not predict LEA in the studied population.ConclusionWe identified duration of ulcer greater than 1 month, PAD, Wagner grade 4 or higher, proteinuria, leucocytosis, wound infection and osteomyelitis as the significant predictors of LEA in patients hospitalized for DFU. Prompt attention to these risk factors may reduce amputation rate among these patients.