Glycemic control and awareness of foot care in diabetic foot syndrome

Abstract

Background. The chronic complications of diabetes mellitus (DM) result from a wide variety of effects of disease. The correlation between blood sugar level and chronic complications has been demonstrated in various studies. Patient education, risk factor management, and other preventative measures are critical elements in reducing the incidence of diabetes complications such as Diabetic Foot Syndrome (DFS). We purposed to evaluate knowledge and attitudes towards foot care amongst patients with diabetes mellitus; in addition, we investigated the correlation between glycemic control and DFS. Materials and methods. This was a descriptive cross-sectional evaluation of patients who were diagnosed with diabetes mellitus seeking outpatient medical care with data being collected through patient surveys, clinical evaluation, specialty consultation, and biochemical analysis of glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) serum levels. The population of the study was composed of 90 patients diagnosed with DM. Results. A total of 90 patients, 42 (46.7 %) females and 48 (53.3 %) males were included in the study. The rate of participants who reported completing daily self-evaluations for wounds, cracks, and discoloration on the feet was significantly higher (68.9 %) than those who reported not evaluating on a daily basis (31.1 %). Almost half of the participants were diagnosed with DFS (n = 43; 47.7 %) with the HbA1c levels of patients with DFS being significantly higher compared to the HbA1c levels of patients without DFS (p < 0.05). Conclusions. As a high incidence of DFS was found with a positive and statistically significant correlation between the HbA1c level and DFS presence, our study highlights the importance of close monitoring, education, and treatment given the risk of serious complications of DM such as DFS in setting of poorly controlled DM.

Keywords

• diabetes mellitus, diabetic foot syndrome, blood glucose control