loading… As we discussed in the previous “DFA Guides You Through”, a robust estimation of the full burden of a disease is the backbone behind any good health campaign. We therefore discussed all statistics and estimates behind the current burden of diabetes-related foot disease (DFD). But that only shows what the burden is today –…

loading… A new commentary published in the prestigious Lancet journal by global diabetic foot expert William Jeffcoate and colleagues clearly underlines the critical impact that a region’s diabetic foot services can have on their hospitalisation and amputation rates. The commentary paper “uses data to tackle the burden of diabetes-related amputations” by summarising an enormous analysis…

loading… A new paper from DFA’s Pete Lazzarini and colleagues has completed the trilogy of papers from the Foot Disease in Inpatients Study investigating the burden of foot disease in inpatient populations. This new Journal of Diabetes Research paper reports 46% of all people in our hospitals have a foot complication (peripheral arterial disease, peripheral…

loading… The backbone behind any campaign is an estimated burden of the current situation. Only when you know the size of a problem, can you adequately discuss ways to solve the problem. Together with the Australian diabetic foot community, we at Diabetes Feet Australia (DFA) aim to end avoidable amputations in a generation. To reach…

loading… New research has been published providing unique insights in daily activity of people with diabetic foot ulcers. Queensland researchers Helen Sheahan, Pete Lazzarini and colleagues recruited three groups of patients: with diabetic foot ulcers, with diabetic peripheral neuropathy, and with diabetes mellitus. All three groups were monitored constantly for at least 5 days using a…

loading… An important new study has been published, an extensive health technology assessment of lightweight fibreglass heel casts in the management of heel ulcers. Jeffcoate and colleagues from the UK investigated whether a simple, removable and lightweight fibreglass cast would speed up healing of heel ulcers, after having observed positive outcomes in a case series.…

loading… A key objective of DFA is supporting health professionals to improve clinical and quality of life outcomes for people with diabetic foot disease, and providing diabetic foot researchers with the infrastructure to accelerate high quality research. One method to achieve these aims is the “DFA Guides You Through” series. In this series, DFA summarizes…

loading… Increasing evidence within the literature has identified the presence of biofilms in chronic wounds and proposed that they contribute to delayed wound healing. Malone and colleagues aimed to investigate the presence of biofilm in diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) using microscopy and molecular approaches and define if biofilms were present in both infected DFUs and…

loading… While the role of microorganisms as pathogens of infection in wounds has centred in the majority around bacteria, fungi may also play a role. Kalan and colleagues report an approach using molecular techniques to amplify the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS1), a specific point on fungi DNA to identify the presence of fungi in wounds…

loading… In the latest guidelines from the International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot, it is strongly recommended to implement plantar pressure measurements in daily clinical practice. Patients with a previous foot ulcer should receive footwear with a demonstrated plantar pressure relieving effect during walking. Demonstrating this effect is only possible using pedobarography measurements, such…