Amputation prevention initiative in South India: positive impact of foot care education.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether intensive treatment and education strategies for type 2 diabetic patients with high-risk diabetic foot disease helps in preventing foot amputations. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Participants included 4,872 consecutive type 2 diabetic patients (male-to-female ratio 3,422:1,450, mean (+/-SD) age 60.5 +/- 8.8 years, mean duration of diabetes 13.7 +/- 7.6 years) with high-risk diabetic foot disease. The patients were categorized as high-risk subjects according to the International Consensus on the Diabetic Foot. The three study groups were subjects with diabetes and neuropathy (group 1; n = 2,871), diabetic neuropathy with deformity (group 2; n = 235), and diabetic neuropathy with deformity and foot ulceration or peripheral vascular disease (group 3; n = 1,766). Neuropathy was diagnosed by biothesiometry. Peripheral vascular disease was diagnosed as an ankle brachial index <0.8. All the subjects were educated regarding diabetic foot disease and its complications and prevention. They were also instructed to visit the center if any sign of new lesions appeared. RESULTS Among the 1,259 group 3 subjects who came for follow-up, 718 (57%) strictly followed the advice given and 541 (43%) did not. Ulcers present during the recruitment had healed in 585 (82%) subjects who followed the advice, but in only 269 (50%) subjects who did not. A significantly larger proportion of subjects who did not follow the advice developed new problems (26%) and required surgical procedures (14%) compared with those who followed the advice (5 and 3%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Strategies such as intensive management and foot care education are helpful in preventing newer problems and surgery in diabetic foot disease.