Diabetic Foot Complications and Challenges

Diabetic foot infections (DFI) are considered a major, serious, and complex complication of Diabetes mellitus worldwide. It also remains one of the frequent reasons for hospitalization and is also responsible for nearly 80% of nontraumatic amputations in India. This imposes a substantial burden on the shoulders of healthcare professionals, patients as well as the nation. There are innumerable complications of DFI like skin and soft tissue infections, infections of bones and joints like Osteomyelitis and Charcot neuroarthropathy, skeletal deformities like hallux vagus, hammer or claw toes, rocker bottom, and potentially disastrous complications like amputation and death which are encountered in clinical practice. Thus, it becomes imperative to identify and manage these complications in the most appropriate manner. Some of the potential challenges faced by diabetologists in their management include a lack of awareness about appropriate footcare practices, the use of unconventional home remedies, or the impetuous use of antibiotics which delay the essential treatment required. The lack of systematic training programs for healthcare personnel and inadequate surveillance systems are considered major reasons for their precarious consequences. Thus, a multidisciplinary approach is considered quintessential for the development of effective strategies and their implementation to prevent dreadful complications of this catastrophic disease.