Utility of Phlebotomy Tourniquet as a Cost-effective Adjuvant in Diabetic Wound Closure: A Case Report

Abstract

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is associated with numerous complications, including cardiovascular diseases, blindness, renal failure, and foot ulcers, which can result in morbidity, amputation, and increased mortality rates. Present case is of a 50-year-old patient with a Diabetic Foot Ulcer (DFU) who underwent amputation of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th toes of the right foot and was managed on an outpatient basis. A phlebotomy tourniquet was tied across the wound and gradually tightened to approximate the wound edges, facilitating wound contraction. After 45 days of treatment, the wound had fully healed. This case suggests that using a phlebotomy tourniquet can effectively close wounds when other techniques, such as skin grafting, are not feasible.

Keywords

• diabetic foot
• diabetes complication
• wound closure techniques