Summary

Diabetic patients with neuropathy should monitor their feet closely, as minor injuries can lead to severe complications like infections and amputations.

Highlights

  • Minor injuries can escalate: Simple issues like calluses can lead to serious infections.
  • Neuropathy risks: Diabetic patients often can’t feel foot injuries due to nerve damage.
  • Early intervention is crucial: Seeking help for minor problems can prevent major surgeries.
  • Daily foot checks: Regular monitoring can catch issues before they worsen.
  • Importance of awareness: Patients should inform their doctors about any foot issues immediately.
  • Infections can spread: Untreated injuries may lead to infections reaching the bone.
  • Family involvement: Having family members check feet can enhance monitoring efforts.

Transcript

With diabetic patients, most of the complications I see—both as a physician and a surgeon—that require amputation are often things that started off simple, such as an ingrown toenail, a callus, or a simple scrape or bump on their foot that they didn’t think was anything. Most of the time, these small issues lead to more severe injuries.

I recently had a patient who simply had a callus on the side of her foot. She didn’t think anything of it, kept walking, and later noticed that her foot was swollen and she couldn’t feel it because she had neuropathy. When I saw her foot, we could see it was infected. We opened up the callus, and underneath was an abscess that went all the way down to her bone. Her bone was already infected, and she’s going to require surgery for that. This would not have been necessary at all if she had come in the day the callus was bothering her.

It’s very important for diabetic patients—especially those with neuropathy, circulatory issues, or decreased blood flow to their lower extremities—to be very aware and notify their doctor at the first sign of any problems. Even a cut or scrape that seems innocent can turn into an infection and lead to more complications. So, it’s crucial for diabetic patients to do daily monitoring of their feet and check them, or have a family member check, daily.