Abstract
Diabetic foot syndrome refers to the destructive involvement of the lower limb tissues of patients with diabetes mellitus distal to the ankle, which results in extensive ulcerations, gangrene and, in extreme cases, the need for limb amputation. This is a serious medical and social problem and one of the most expensive complications of diabetes mellitus.
Treatment of diabetic foot syndrome requires long-term hospitalization and rehabilitation, and patients often need home care and social services. Foot disease is 17-50 times more common in diabetics compared to non-diabetics.
Diabetic foot syndrome affects 15–25% of diabetics during their lifetime, gangrene occurs in 4–10% of diabetics, and lower limb amputation is necessary in 0.5–1% of diabetics (30 times more than in non-diabetics) (8). Sadly, up to 15-19% of diabetes mellitus is diagnosed only with serious problems leading to limb amputation.
The issue of caring for patients with diabetic foot syndrome requires a multidisciplinary approach; doctors from several fields meet here (general practitioner, dermatologist, internist-diabetologist, internist-angiologist, interventional radiologist, surgeon and orthopedist), but special emphasis is placed on prevention. Consistently applied preventive measures and timely and adequate care can significantly reduce the percentage of complications, including the risk of limb amputation.