Treatment of lower extremity infections in diabetics

The infected diabetic lower extremity has enjoyed a surge in popularity in the medical literature. There have been numerous papers outlining classification systems for ulcer depth, surgical approaches, and microbiology. Discussions on antibiotic use have usually been directed toward therapy of the "diabetic foot infections" as a group, without regard to differences in severity and location of these infections. These infections can vary from the most superficial of processes to a severe life- and limb-threatening sepsis. The author presents a review of the processes involved in the diabetic lower extremity infection and suggests a classification system for selection of empiric antibiotic therapy based on the severity of the infection.