Record number of Aussies will be presenting at next month’s “8th Olympics of the diabetic foot”

April 29, 2019

The International Symposium on the Diabetic Foot (ISDF) has been informally known as the “Olympics of the diabetic foot” since 1996. And this year will see a record of 20 Aussie presentations at next month’s 8th ISDF “Olympics” in The Netherlands which is much more than any other “Olympics”.

Why is ISDF the “Olympics of the diabetic foot”? Well for starters its only held every 4 years, it has by far the most number of attendees (>1,500) and by far the highest number of nations represented of any (inter)national diabetic foot conference (>100), and the updated international diabetic foot clinical guidelines that is essentially the ‘global diabetic foot rulebook’ for the next 4 years is launched there.

In short, it is the largest, most scientific diabetic foot conference on the planet and a diabetic foot ‘boffin’s’ dream! To get one presentation at the Olympics is quite an achievement considering there are >500 abstracts submitted as well as >50 global experts invited to present. So to get 20 is quite the achievement for Australia as a nation and is showing how far we are progressing down under.

At this year’s 2019 8th ISDF, a record 20 Aussies will present, including one invited minisympoisum keynote lecture, four selected oral abstract presentations and 15 selected poster abstract presentations. This is a sizeable increase on the previous record of 12 Aussies presenting at the 2015 7th ISDF, including one invited minisymposium, one invited workshop, two oral abstracts and eight posters.

This is a wonderful achievement for not only each individual Aussie presenting, but also for our Australian diabetic foot community as it really demonstrates our progress towards achieving our national objective of becoming one of the best nations in the world when it comes to managing diabetic foot disease. This is even more so when you consider the length and breadth of the research from Aussies that will be presented this year, including topics on:

  • Peripheral artery disease
  • Acute Charcot foot
  • Gait abnormalities
  • Mortality rates
  • Re-amputation factors
  • Prevention perceptions
  • Health literacy
  • Physical activity
  • Sedentary activity
  • Motivational interviewing
  • Skin autofloresence
  • Thermal imaging
  • Wound imaging
  • Ultrasonic debridement
  • Vitamin deficiencies
  • National interdisciplinary accreditation
  • (Inter)national burdens
  • (Inter)national guidelines

For more details on the Aussie’s competing (sorry presenting) at this “Olympics” and their presentation titles please see them listed below.

We wish all those Aussies presenting and attending the 8th ISDF our very best wishes in what should be a wonderful 4 days of wall-to-wall diabetic foot memories that we hope you will come home and share with the rest of us.

For those that can’t attend the ISDF 2019 “Olympics” this year, the good news is that many of these presenters will also be presenting at the DFA 2019 “Olympics of the diabetic foot down under conference” in Brisbane in September. So do yourself a favor, get yourself a registration and come see some of our world’s best presenting some of the world’s best research right here in our own backyard.

And don’t forget we want your abstracts at DFA 2019 so we can celebrate yours and our collective national clinical and research talents at DFA 2019. Abstracts close midnight Monday May 6 so submit here now.

 

Australians selected to present at the 8th International Symposium on the Diabetic Foot in May 2019.

INVITED MINISYMPOSIUM

  1. Peripheral Artery Disease in a Wider Perspective: Differences in Outcome Between Diabetes and Non-Diabetes. Robert Fitridge, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.

ORALS

  1. Calcaneal Quantitative Ultrasound in Type 2 Diabetes: a Prelude to Use in Monitoring Acute Charcot Neuropathic Osteoarthropathy. Joel Lasschuit, St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney, Australia.
  2. Gait abnormalities present in people with non-healing diabetes-related plantar foot ulcers during six-months follow-up. Malindu Fernando, Queensland Research Center for Peripheral Vascular Disease, College Of Medicine, James Cook University, Australia.
  3. The Increasing Global Disability Burden Caused by Diabetes-related Lower-extremity Complications, 1990-2016. Peter Lazzarini, Queensland University Of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.
  4. Differences Between the International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot Guidance and National Diabetic Foot Guidelines in the Western Pacific. Peter Lazzarini, Queensland University Of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.

POSTERS

  1. The associations of health literacy with diabetic foot outcomes – a Systematic Review and meta-analysis. Pamela Chen, School of Medicine, University Of Tasmania, Sandy Bay, Australia.
  2. The Southern Tasmanian Health Literacy and Foot Ulcer Development in Diabetes Mellitus Study (SHELLED study). Pamela Chen, School of Medicine, University Of Tasmania, Sandy Bay, Australia.
  3. WoundVue Camera: A novel device to assess diabetic foot ulcers. Dr. Guilherme Pena, University Of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.
  4. Prevalence of vitamin and mineral deficiencies in diabetic patients with foot wounds. Guilherme Pena, University Of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.
  5. National Collaborative Interdisciplinary Diabetes High Risk Foot Services Standards and Accreditation Program. Leanne Mullan, National Association Of Diabetes Centres (NADC), Sydney & Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia.
  6. Barriers and enablers to Preventative and Early Intervention Diabetes-Related Foot Care: A Scoping Review of Healthcare Professionals’ Perceptions. Leanne Mullan, Deakin University School of Nursing and Midwifery, Melbourne , Australia.
  7. Health-related quality of life and physical activity levels in people with and without diabetes and foot ulcers from regional Australia. Malindu Fernando. Queensland Research Centre for Peripheral Vascular Disease, College Of Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville Australia.
  8. Concordance of skin autofluorescence measurements between body sites in a cohort with and without diabetes, peripheral neuropathy and foot ulcers. Malindu Fernando, Queensland Research Centre for Peripheral Vascular Disease, College Of Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia.
  9. The foot-health and mortality of adult patients with diabetes in regional Australia: findings from an epidemiological study with two-year follow-up. Byron Perrin, La Trobe University, Bendigo, Australia.
  10. Is a left-right 2.2oC difference a valid diagnostic to predict diabetic foot ulceration in people with diabetic foot ulcer history? Jill Featherston, Podiatry Department, St Vincent’s Hospital , Sydney, Australia.
  11. Investigating the use of low frequency ultrasonic debridement in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. Lucia Michailidis, Peninsula Health, Frankston, & Monash Health , Clayton & Monash University, Clayton, Australia.
  12. A systematic review of motivational interviewing training outcomes for health practitioners treating persons with diabetes. Tracey Kaczmarek, Queensland Health, Brisbane, Australia & Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.
  13. Risk factors for re-amputation following a minor amputation in patients hospitalised with diabetes-related foot disease. Ana Andric, Monash Health, Melbourne, Australia. 
  14. The Effect of Sedentary Behaviour on Plantar Skin Inflammation in People with Diabetes: A Feasibility Study. Frances Henshaw, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia.
  15. National incidence of foot disease-related hospitalisation in Australia in people with and without diabetes. Peter Lazzarini, Queensland University Of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.