Foot Care Assessment and Relation to Diabetic Complications

The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) has identified Egypt as the ninth leading country in the world for the number of patients with T2D. The prevalence of T2D in Egypt was almost tripled over the last 2 decades. This sharp rise could be attributed to either an increased pattern of the traditional risk factors for T2D such as obesity and physical inactivity and change in eating pattern or other risk factors unique to Egypt .

Diabetic foot complications are the most common cause of non-traumatic lower extremity amputations in the industrialized world, may cause death or physical and psychical disability, has a great impact on quality of life, and represents a high cost for society ( .

The term diabetic foot encompasses any lesion in the feet: infection, ulcer, and destruction of deep tissues occurring as the result of diabetes and its complications .

The absence of symptoms in a person with diabetes does not exclude foot disease; they may have asymptomatic neuropathy, peripheral artery disease, pre-ulcerative signs, or even an ulcer.

Every diabetic patient will be subjected to

1. Medical history.

2. Therapeutic history: Antidiabetic drugs (type, duration), other medications for obesity, hypertension and dyslipidemia

3. Complete physical examination.

4. The following work up;

   • Knowledge questionnaire developed by Hasnain and colleagues and the Nottingham Assessment of Functional Foot Care (NAFFC) .

   • Screening for diabetic foot .

   • Fundus examination

   • ECG

   • The following investigations: Alb/cre ration, HBA1c, lipid profile, blood urea, serum creatinine

   • Abdominal ultrasound

   • Ankle brachial index (ABI)

5. Integrated foot care program will be applied to moderate and high-risk patients for diabetic foot with follow up after 6-12 months vs conventional education