Treatment of diabetic foot infections: Wagner classification, therapy, and outcome

A total of 850 cases of septic diabetic foot infections were reviewed in 355 patients. Age, sex, other chronic diseases, site, etiology, Wagner grade, treatment, and results were analyzed. One third of the patients were in their sixth decade of life. There were 180 women and 175 men. Chronic diseases included hypertension, congestive heart disease, and renal failure. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common bacteria. Treatment was considered to meet protocol standards if Wagner's algorithms and infectious disease principles were followed. Thirty-nine Wagner grade 0 infections were seen: only one was not treated appropriately. Eighty-eight percent treated per protocol healed and the one not treated appropriately failed. In grade 1, 79% of the 154 evaluable patients were treated appropriately with a 86% success rate versus a 53% success rate for those not treated per protocol. Of three quarters of the 64 patients with grade 2 infections treated according to protocol, 73% healed. One of those in grade 2 who was not treated according to protocol healed. In grade 3, 64% of the 251 patients were treated per protocol with a 79% success rate versus a 12% success rate for those who were not treated per protocol. Most of the 189 patients with grade 4 cases were treated according to protocol with 88% success; the 20 not treated per protocol had a 15% success rate. Thirty of the 32 grade 5 patients were treated per protocol and all but one healed. Protocol therapy had a statistically significant effect by chi 2 test in the treatment of all groups.