Q: What is the best way to treat diabetic ulcers on the legs? I have new ones every day and it's hard to decide if they should be bandaged or not. They are always seeping. Please send some advice.
A: Leg ulcers can indeed be difficult and frustrating to treat, and they usually take a long time to heal. Treatment recommendations have changed over the years; it's confusing to decide what to do. Unfortunately, the treatment of leg ulcers is not simple. Specific therapy depends on the cause, size and depth, location and duration of the ulcer. That's why there is not just one answer to the question. What Dr. Benjamin Weaver suggests is to work with your doctor to develop the best treatment plan for your specific situation.
Showing posts with label wound care certified. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wound care certified. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Diabetes Patients NEED More Prevention Services
It has been found that there is a distinct lack of appropriate prevention programmes for foot ulcers and amputations for patients that are suffering from type 2 diabetes, and it has been recommended that improved prevention services could significantly improve the high rate of amputation for diabetes patients.
Researchers have used information taken from electronic medical records to identify 150 patients on dialysis and 150 patients with a previous foot ulceration or amputation from 2000 to 2006. Factors such as patient education, podiatry care and the use of therapeutic shoes and insoles were monitored over a 30-month period. Despite 92.3 per cent of the overall population of the study having type 2 diabetes, only two patients in the dialysis group and none in the ulcer group were reported to be offered formal diabetes education.
In the study, 65 per cent of patients were seen by a podiatrist, of whom 70 per cent received care after developing a foot ulcer. This is compared with 42 per cent of patients in the dialysis group, and only 18 per cent of patients in the ulcer group received preventive care from a podiatrist.
It was noted that "Prevention services for the diabetic foot are simple to establish and can be made easily accessible through organized multidisciplinary care. These data provide further evidence that preventative foot care is not regularly provided, even among patients with the highest risk for lower limb complications. It also highlights an opportunity to improve prevention services for the diabetic foot with simple protocols for evaluation and referral."
Researchers have used information taken from electronic medical records to identify 150 patients on dialysis and 150 patients with a previous foot ulceration or amputation from 2000 to 2006. Factors such as patient education, podiatry care and the use of therapeutic shoes and insoles were monitored over a 30-month period. Despite 92.3 per cent of the overall population of the study having type 2 diabetes, only two patients in the dialysis group and none in the ulcer group were reported to be offered formal diabetes education.
In the study, 65 per cent of patients were seen by a podiatrist, of whom 70 per cent received care after developing a foot ulcer. This is compared with 42 per cent of patients in the dialysis group, and only 18 per cent of patients in the ulcer group received preventive care from a podiatrist.
It was noted that "Prevention services for the diabetic foot are simple to establish and can be made easily accessible through organized multidisciplinary care. These data provide further evidence that preventative foot care is not regularly provided, even among patients with the highest risk for lower limb complications. It also highlights an opportunity to improve prevention services for the diabetic foot with simple protocols for evaluation and referral."
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