Diabetic foot medical therapy
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Alonso Alvarado, M.D. [2] Anahita Deylamsalehi, M.D.[3]
Overview
Appropriate wound care is essential for the management of all diabetic foot ulcers. Uninfected diabetic ulcers do not require antibiotic therapy. For acutely infected wounds, empiric antibiotic with efficacy against Gram-positive cocci should be initiated after obtaining a post-debridement specimen for aerobic and anaerobic culture. Infections with antibiotic-resistant organisms and those that are chronic, previously treated, or severe usually require broader spectrum regimens.
Diabetic Foot Infection
Principles of Therapy Adapted from Diabetes Care. 2013;36(9):2862-71.[1] and Clin Infect Dis. 2012;54(12):e132-73.[2]
- Treatment strategies are dependent on ulcer's grade, presence of infection and perfusion.[3]
- Treatment of diabetic foot should consist of intensive wound therapy, infection treatment, control of blood sugar, pressure off-loading and treatment of comorbidities.[4]
- Aim of treatment should be focused on improving prognosis and decreasing complications such as amputation.[5]
- Saline wet-to-dry dressings are recommended for diabetic foot ulcers.[6][7][8]
- Dressings such as foams, semipermeable films, hydrocolloids, and calcium alginate swabs are recommended since they provide a warm and moist environment that augment wound healing and prevent ulcer contamination.[8]
- Using topical antiseptics such as povidone-iodine must be avoided due to toxic effects of these agents on wound healing.[3]
Diagnosis of Diabetic Foot Infection
- Diabetic foot infection (DFI) is diagnosed clinically by the presence of at least two signs or symptoms of inflammation:
- Local swelling or induration
- Erythema
- Local tenderness or pain
- Local warmth
- Purulent discharge (thick, opaque to white or sanguineous secretion)
Indications for Hospitalization
- Hospitalization is appropriate for the following conditions:
- Severe (grade 4) infections
- Moderate (grade 3) infections with complicating features
- Severe peripheral arterial disease or limb ischemia
- Lack of home support
- Patients unable to comply with the required outpatient treatment regimen for psychological or social reasons
- Patients not responding to outpatient treatment
Obtaining Specimens
- Properly obtained specimens for culture prior to initiating empiric therapy provide useful information for guiding antibiotic selection, particularly in those with chronic or previously treated infections which are commonly caused by Gram-negative bacilli or obligate anaerobic organisms.
- Infected wounds should be cultured by obtaining tissue samples during any surgical procedure or by tissue biopsy or wound base curettage.
- Bone cultures are optimal for detecting the pathogen in osteomyelitis, but blood cultures are only necessary for those with a severe (grade 4) infection.
- Cultures may be unnecessary for mild infections in patients who have not recently received antibiotic therapy and who are at low risk for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection; these infections are predictably caused solely by staphylococci and streptococci.
- Cultures may yield organisms that are commonly considered to be contaminants (eg, coagulase-negative staphylococci, corynebacteria), but these may be true pathogens in DFIs and are often resistant to the empiric antibiotics.
Consultation
- Conditions to request consultation from specialists:
- Urgent surgical intervention should be sought for DFIs accompanied by gas in the deeper tissues, an abscess, or necrotizing fasciitis, and less urgent surgery for DFIs with substantial nonviable tissue or extensive bone or joint involvement.
- Consult a vascular surgeon to consider revascularization if ischemia complicates a DFI.
- Infectious diseases specialists should be consulted when cultures yield multiple or antibiotic-resistant organisms, the patient has substantial renal impairment, or the infection does not respond to appropriate medical or surgical therapy in a timely manner.
Adjunctive Therapy
- No adjunctive therapy has been proven to improve infection resolution, but for selected diabetic foot wounds that are slow to heal, physicians might consider using bioengineered skin equivalents, growth factors, granulocyte colony-stimulating factors, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, or negative pressure wound therapy.
- Becaplermin is a human platelet-derived growth factor (also known as Regranex gel) can be used for neuropathic diabetic foot ulcers. It can augment wound healing by causing chemotaxis and mitogenesis of cells such as neutrophils, fibroblasts, and monocytes.[9]
- Some new types of biologically active implants such as bioengineered skin (Apligraf) and human dermis (Dermagraft) (which are derived from neonatal foreskin) are recommended for faster wound healing. These implants function as a source of growth factors and extracellular matrix which are critical for wound healing.[8][10]
Selection of Antibiotic Regimen
- Clinically uninfected wounds should not be treated with antibiotic therapy. For all infected wounds, antibiotic therapy combined with appropriate wound care is recommended.
- For clinically infected wounds, consider the questions below:
- 1. Is there high risk of MRSA?
- Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus auerus (MRSA) coverage should be considered in the following conditions:
- 2. Is the infected wound chronic or treated with antibiotics in the past month?
- If so, include agents active against aerobic gram-negative bacilli in regimen.
- If not, agents targeted against just aerobic Gram-positive cocci may be sufficient.
- Aerobic gram-negative bacilli are frequently copathogens in infections that are chronic or follow antibiotic treatment
- Obligate anaerobes may be copathogens in ischemic or necrotic wounds.
- 3. Are there risk factors for infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa or extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)–producing organisms?
- Anti-pseudomonal agent is usually unnecessary except for patients with risk factors:
- High local prevalence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection
- Frequent exposure of the foot to water
- Warm climate
- Coverage of ESBL-producing gram-negative organisms should be considered in countries in which they are relatively common.
- 4. What is the severity status?
- DFI is classified based on its severity according to the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) guideline or the PEDIS grade developed by International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot (IWGDF). (see Table below)
- Selection of empiric antimicrobial regimen should be determined by the severity of DFI and the likely etiologic agents.
- Mild (grade 2) to moderate (grade 3) DFI without recent antibiotic treatment:
- Highly bioavailable oral antibiotics against aerobic Gram-positive cocci may be sufficient.
- Severe (grade 4) DFI:
- Broad-spectrum antibiotics are recommended while culture results and susceptibility data are pending.
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- 5. What is the appropriate route, setting, and duration of antibiotic therapy?
- The table below describes the recommended route, setting, and duration of antibiotic therapy based on the extent and severity of DFI.
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Empiric Therapy
▸ Click on the following categories to expand treatment regimens.
Uninfected (Grade 1) ▸ No Evidence of Infection Mild (Grade 2) ▸ Acute Infection Without Recent Antibiotic Use ▸ High Risk for MRSA
Moderate to Severe (Grade 3–4) ▸ Chronic Infection or Recent Antibiotic Use ▸ High Risk for MRSA ▸ High Risk for Pseudomonas aureuginosa ▸ Polymicrobial Infection |
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References
- ↑ Wukich DK, Armstrong DG, Attinger CE, Boulton AJ, Burns PR, Frykberg RG; et al. (2013). "Inpatient management of diabetic foot disorders: a clinical guide". Diabetes Care. 36 (9): 2862–71. doi:10.2337/dc12-2712. PMC 3747877. PMID 23970716.
- ↑ Lipsky BA, Berendt AR, Cornia PB, Pile JC, Peters EJ, Armstrong DG; et al. (2012). "2012 Infectious Diseases Society of America clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of diabetic foot infections". Clin Infect Dis. 54 (12): e132–73. doi:10.1093/cid/cis346. PMID 22619242.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Frykberg, Robert G. (1998). "Diabetic foot ulcers: Current concepts". The Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery. 37 (5): 440–446. doi:10.1016/S1067-2516(98)80055-0. ISSN 1067-2516.
- ↑ Apelqvist J, Bakker K, van Houtum WH, Schaper NC, International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot (IWGDF) Editorial Board (2008). "Practical guidelines on the management and prevention of the diabetic foot: based upon the International Consensus on the Diabetic Foot (2007) Prepared by the International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot". Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 24 Suppl 1: S181–7. doi:10.1002/dmrr.848. PMID 18442189.
- ↑ Holstein PE, Sørensen S (1999). "Limb salvage experience in a multidisciplinary diabetic foot unit". Diabetes Care. 22 Suppl 2: B97–103. PMID 10097908.
- ↑ Frykberg RG, Armstrong DG, Giurini J, Edwards A, Kravette M, Kravitz S; et al. (2000). "Diabetic foot disorders: a clinical practice guideline. American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons". J Foot Ankle Surg. 39 (5 Suppl): S1–60. PMID 11280471.
- ↑ American Diabetes Association (1999). "Consensus Development Conference on Diabetic Foot Wound Care: 7-8 April 1999, Boston, Massachusetts. American Diabetes Association". Diabetes Care. 22 (8): 1354–60. doi:10.2337/diacare.22.8.1354. PMID 10480782.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Armstrong, DG; Harkless, LB; Nguyen, H; Krasner, D; Hogge, J (2000). "The potential benefits of advanced therapeutic modalities in the treatment of diabetic foot wounds". Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association. 90 (2): 57–65. doi:10.7547/87507315-90-2-57. ISSN 8750-7315.
- ↑ Wieman TJ, Smiell JM, Su Y (1998). "Efficacy and safety of a topical gel formulation of recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor-BB (becaplermin) in patients with chronic neuropathic diabetic ulcers. A phase III randomized placebo-controlled double-blind study". Diabetes Care. 21 (5): 822–7. doi:10.2337/diacare.21.5.822. PMID 9589248.
- ↑ Veves A, Falanga V, Armstrong DG, Sabolinski ML, Apligraf Diabetic Foot Ulcer Study (2001). "Graftskin, a human skin equivalent, is effective in the management of noninfected neuropathic diabetic foot ulcers: a prospective randomized multicenter clinical trial". Diabetes Care. 24 (2): 290–5. doi:10.2337/diacare.24.2.290. PMID 11213881.