Ali Acar, Neşe Saltoğlu, Necla Tülek, Özge Turhan, Elif Nazlı Serin, Derya Yapar, Murat Kendirci, Serkan Sürme, Banu Yıldız Karaca, Fatma Aybala Altay, Rıdvan Tayşi, İrfan Şencan, Esra Tanyel, Heval Can Bilek, Özlem Güler, Birsen Mutlu, Tolga Aksan, Fatma Yılmaz Karadağ, Ayten Kadanalı, Lütfiye Nilsun Altunal, Moumperra Chral Oglu, Seniha Şenbayrak, Serpil Erol, Öznur Ak, Nazire Aladağ, Neşe Demirtürk, Petek Konya, Dilek Bulut, Derya Öztürk Engin, Hasan Murat Aslan, Sibel Doğan Kaya
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Diabetes foot infection is a very important public health problem that causes serious health problems, mortality, and high health expenditures, and is one of the most important complications of diabetes mellitus. There are concerns that approaches such as limited personal visits to doctors, avoidance of hospitals, and restrictions on nonemergency surgical procedures during the coronavirus disease of 2019 pandemic pose a threat to those with diabetic foot problems, including diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), ischemia, and infection, resulting in increased limb loss and mortality.
Methods: This multicenter, retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted in 14 tertiary care hospitals from various regions of Turkey. A total of 1,394 patient records were evaluated, 794 of which were between January 1, 2019, and January 30, 2020 (prepandemic [Pre-P]), and 605 of which were between February 1, 2020, and February 28, 2021 (pandemic period [PP]).
Results: During the PP, diabetic foot patient follow-up decreased by 23.8%. In addition, the number of hospitalizations attributable to DFU has decreased significantly during the PP (P = .035). There was no difference between the groups regarding patient demographics, medical history, DFU severity, biochemical and radiologic findings, or comorbidities, but the mean duration of diabetes mellitus years was longer in patients in the Pre-P than in those in the PP (15.1 years versus 13.7 years). There was no difference between the two groups in terms of major complications such as limb loss and mortality, but infection recurrence was higher in the PP than in the Pre-P (12.9% versus 11.4%; P < .05). The prevalence of nonfermentative gram-negative bacteria as causative agents in DFU infections increased during the PP. In particular, the prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas spp. increased statistically during the PP.
Conclusions: The rapid adaptation to the pandemic with the measures and changes developed by the multidisciplinary diabetic foot care committees may be the reasons why there was no increase in complications because of DFU during the pandemic in Turkey.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association, the official journal of the Association, is the oldest and most frequently cited peer-reviewed journal in the profession of foot and ankle medicine. Founded in 1907 and appearing 6 times per year, it publishes research studies, case reports, literature reviews, special communications, clinical correspondence, letters to the editor, book reviews, and various other types of submissions. The Journal is included in major indexing and abstracting services for biomedical literature.