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Randomized Double-blind Cost-effectiveness Comparison of Two 10% Urea Creams in Patients with Diabetic Foot Syndrome
Sol Tejeda Ramírez1, Aroa Tardáguila-García, Mateo López-Moral
1At the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain, Sol Tejeda Ramírez, DPM, PhD, is Predoctoral Researcher; Aroa Tardáguila-García, DPM, PhD, is Full Professor; Mateo López-Moral, DPM, PhD, is Professor; Irene Sanz-Corbalán, DPM, PhD, is Full Professor; Marta García-Madrid, DPM, PhD, is Predoctoral Researcher; and José Luis Lázaro-Martínez, DPM, PhD, is Full Professor. The authors have disclosed no financial relationships related to this article. Submitted March 7, 2023; accepted in revised form June 16, 2023.
Objective:
To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of two 10% urea creams in patients with diabetic foot syndrome.
Methods:
This was a prospective, longitudinal, single-center, randomized, double-blind, prospective clinical trial that evaluated the skin quality of 20 feet belonging to 10 patients with diabetic foot syndrome after the application of two 10% urea creams purchased from pharmacies and supermarkets.
Results:
At follow-up, 19 (95%) of the participants' feet showed improved skin quality, irrespective of the cream applied. On visual inspection, participants had a decreased presence of xerosis, hyperkeratosis, and preulcerative signs such as subkeratotic bruising and areas of redness on the dorsum of the toes. At the 3-month follow-up, nine (90%) of the participants stated that they had continued to apply the cream as a method of self-management to prevent complications.
Conclusions:
Creams containing 10% urea purchased in supermarkets improve foot skin quality in patients with diabetic foot syndrome, regardless of their cost. Based on these findings, the authors recommend creams containing 10% urea as a self-management tool for patients with diabetic foot syndrome.
