Diabetic Foot Infection Treatment

diabetic foot infection treatment 

As we have already seen before, if we have diabetes mellitus, we are at a great risk to develop diabetic foot infection. Diabetic foot infection, ulceration, and gangrene are the most common problem that makes diabetics need hospitalization. The healing process of diabetic foot infection needs several weeks to months. Proper management should be done to prevent amputation. 

People with diabetic foot infection are usually asymptomatic. Because of the nerve damage, diabetic foot ulcers are painless.

Diabetic foot infection treatment

The management of diabetic foot infection is primarily to obtain wound closure. It depends on the grade or severity (as we talk before). Here are step by step of diabetic foot infection treatment.

• Basic wound care
• Control you blood glucose level at normal limits to fasten the healing process.
• Keep the ulcer bandaged and clean.
• Use a wound dressing
• Do not walk barefoot
• Debridement. It is a process to remove dead tissue that covers the wound so the foot ulcer is able to be seen. Your doctor may use a scalpel and surgical scissors.
• Clean and disinfect the skin around the wound (by betadine)
• Check the wound with a metal instrument to know its depth, and if there is any foreign objects in the wound
• Cut the dead tissue, wash it with special liquid
• After debridement, the wound may look bigger and deeper, fresh like meat
• Wound dressing and care. The doctor or nurse usually use the wet-to-dry dressing: applying a wet dressing to the wound and it will absorb the foreign materials as it dries. When we remove the dressing, some tissues will come off with the dressing. Please do not do this by yourself, you may need a visiting nurse to help you. Keep it dry and change it regularly.
• Oral antibiotics. The doctor may give you a prescribed drug to support the healing process. If there is no improvement in a week, you may need hospitalization because the doctor will give you a more potent IV antibiotics.
• Referral to wound care center or orthopaedic surgeon. In complicated case, the doctor will refer you to a wound care center that consists of multidisciplinary interventions. You will receive a treatment plan to recover your foot.