Vol 3, No 4 (2002): Practical Diabetology
Other materials agreed with the Editors
Published online: 2002-09-25
Diabetic neuropathic foot ulcers. The association of wound size, wound duration, and wound grade on healing
Diabetologia Praktyczna 2002;3(4):265-272.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION. The goal of this study was to evaluate
whether simple risk factors can be identified that
successfully characterize who will heal and who will
not heal among patients who have received standard
therapy for diabetic neuropathic foot ulcers.
MATERIAL AND METHODS. For this cohort study, we evaluated > 31,000 individuals with a diabetic neuropathic foot ulcer seen in the Curative Health Services System. Using multivariate logistic regression, we evaluated the association between wound size, wound duration, wound grade, and other variables and their effect on whether a patient would heal by the 20th week of care.
RESULTS. We demonstrated that wound size, wound duration, and wound grade are all significantly associated with the likelihood of a wound healing by the 20th week of care. In addition, we noted that these associations were not significantly affected by the treating wound care center, whether the unit of analysis was one wound on a patient or all of their wounds, or current adjuvant therapies.
CONCLUSIONS. We have shown that three easy-to- -measure risk factors are associated with a wound healing. These results should help clinicians understand the likelihood that a wound will heal and help those conducting clinical investigations to design better trials.
MATERIAL AND METHODS. For this cohort study, we evaluated > 31,000 individuals with a diabetic neuropathic foot ulcer seen in the Curative Health Services System. Using multivariate logistic regression, we evaluated the association between wound size, wound duration, wound grade, and other variables and their effect on whether a patient would heal by the 20th week of care.
RESULTS. We demonstrated that wound size, wound duration, and wound grade are all significantly associated with the likelihood of a wound healing by the 20th week of care. In addition, we noted that these associations were not significantly affected by the treating wound care center, whether the unit of analysis was one wound on a patient or all of their wounds, or current adjuvant therapies.
CONCLUSIONS. We have shown that three easy-to- -measure risk factors are associated with a wound healing. These results should help clinicians understand the likelihood that a wound will heal and help those conducting clinical investigations to design better trials.
Keywords: diabetic neuropathyfoot ulcersrisk factors