Healing Outcomes in Diabetic Foot Ulcers Managed Within a Structured Multidisciplinary Care Model: A Retrospective...

Area of Science:

• Diabetology
• Wound Care
• Vascular Surgery

Background:

• Diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) present a significant healthcare challenge, leading to prolonged hospital stays, high amputation rates, and increased mortality.
• Effective management strategies are crucial to improve patient outcomes and reduce the burden of DFU.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate healing outcomes in patients with DFU managed in a structured multidisciplinary care setting.
• To identify factors associated with adverse outcomes and delayed healing in DFU patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 1057 DFU patients managed between January and November 2022.
• Multidisciplinary care included targeted antibiotics, glycemic control, offloading, daily debridement, and vascular assessment.
• Multivariable logistic regression was used to analyze factors influencing outcomes.

Main Results:

• Overall, 74.7% of patients achieved complete healing, with a major amputation rate of 2.6%.
• In a cohort with complete follow-up (n=887), 89.1% had favorable outcomes.
• Coronary artery disease and prior ulcer history were independently associated with poor outcomes (p<0.006).
• Chronic kidney disease was linked to delayed healing (>5 months) (p=0.003).

Conclusions:

• A multidisciplinary DFU care model demonstrated high favorable outcomes and low major amputation rates.
• The findings underscore the importance of structured, multidisciplinary care for DFU management.
• Further prospective multicenter studies are recommended to validate these findings.