Foot ulcers
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Last reviewed: May 2018
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Foot care
Foot care Looking after your feet When you have diabetes you need to take care of your feet every day Having diabetes can increase your risk of foot ulcers and amputations Daily care can prevent serious complications Check your feet daily for changes or problems Visit a podiatrist annually for a check up or more frequently if your feet are at high risk Why? Your feet are at risk because diabetes can cause damage to the nerves in your feet, blood circulation and infection
Read more on Diabetes Australia website
Your feet & diabetes
Good foot care can help prevent the onset of major foot problems. Every person with diabetes needs to be careful about their feet.
Read more on Diabetes NSW website
Hand, foot and mouth disease | Raising Children Network
Hand, foot and mouth disease is a common childhood illness. It comes up as mouth ulcers and blisters on your childs hands and feet. Its usually harmless.
Read more on Raising Children Network website
Pressure ulcers (pressure sores) information | myVMC
Pressure ulcers are skin injuries that occur when one position is held for too long. It is most common in elderly, wheelchair- or bed-bound people.
Read more on myVMC – Virtual Medical Centre website
Leg ulcers - ACD
Leg ulcers are extremely common and occur more frequently in elderly people. In countries with developed health systems, 1-3% of the total health budget is spent on treating leg ulcers.
Read more on Australasian College of Dermatologists website
Feet: checklist for foot health - myDr.com.au
Foot problems such as smelly feet, athlete's foot, plantar warts, corns and infected toenails can all be alleviated through good foot care. Use this checklist of quick questions to check the health of your feet.
Read more on myDr website
Wound care - myDr.com.au
Different types of wounds require different types of care, depending on whether they have resulted from surgery, punctures, burns, tears or ulcers.
Read more on myDr website
Hand, foot and mouth disease - myDr.com.au
Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common childhood illness causing mouth sores and a skin rash. Read about the symptoms, treatment and how to prevent infection by this viral illness.
Read more on myDr website
Mouth ulcers - Better Health Channel
In most cases, mouth ulcers are harmless and resolve by themselves in a few days.
Read more on Better Health Channel website
Parenting and Child Health - Health Topics - Hand, foot and mouth disease
Hand, foot and mouth disease is very common, and usually is a mild illness. It is not related to the disease of a similar name that affects cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and other 'cloven-hooved' animals.
Read more on Women's and Children's Health Network website
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Foot Ulcer (Diabetic)
Home IMAGING PATHWAYS Musculoskeletal/Trauma Musculoskeletal (Non-Trauma) Foot Ulcer (Diabetic)
Read more on Diagnostic Imaging Pathways website
Growth factors for treating diabetic foot ulcers | Cochrane
People who suffer from diabetes mellitus (usually referred to as diabetes) can develop wounds (ulcers) on their feet and ankles. These diabetic foot ulcers can take a long time to heal, and affect quality of life for people with diabetes. In some people, failure of these ulcers to heal can contribute to the need for some level of amputation on the foot. Any treatments that encourage diabetic foot ulcers to heal will be valuable.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Dressings to treat foot ulcers in people with diabetes | Cochrane
Diabetes mellitus (generally known as 'diabetes'), when untreated, causes a rise in the sugar (glucose) levels in the blood. It is a serious health issue that affects millions of people around the world (e.g., almost two million people in the UK and 24 million people in the USA). Foot ulcers are a common problem for people with diabetes; at least 15% of people with diabetes have foot ulcers at some time during their lives. Wound dressings are used extensively in the care of these ulcers. There are many different types of dressings available, from basic wound contact dressings to more advanced gels, films, and specialist dressings that may be saturated with ingredients that exhibit particular properties (e.g. antimicrobial activity). Given this wide choice, a clear and up-to-date overview of the available research evidence is needed to help clinicians/practitioners to decide which type of dressing to use.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Controlling blood glucose in treating diabetic foot ulcers (sores) | Cochrane
Background: People with diabetes can develop foot ulcers (sores) for a number of reasons. This includes nerve damage and reduced blood flow to the feet and legs. Having high blood glucose may affect the ability of foot ulcers to heal and therefore intensively controlling blood glucose may be beneficial.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Hydrocolloid dressings to promote foot ulcer healing in people with diabetes when compared with other dressing types | Cochrane
Hydrocolloid dressings to promote foot ulcer healing in people with diabetes when compared with other dressing types
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Ozone therapy as a treatment for foot ulcers in people with diabetes | Cochrane
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a common condition that leads to high sugar concentrations in the blood. People who have had diabetes for a long time often suffer from foot ulcers. Nearly 35% of all hospital admissions from diabetes clinics are due to them, as are nearly 80% of all non-traumatic amputations of the leg and foot.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Foam dressings for healing foot ulcers in people with diabetes | Cochrane
Diabetes, a condition which leads to high blood glucose concentrations, is a common condition with around 2.8 million people affected in the UK (approximately 3% of the population). Dressings are a widely used treatment when caring for foot ulcers in people with diabetes. There are many types of dressings that can be used, which also vary considerably in cost. Existing reviews have not found evidence that one dressing type is more effective than other types in healing foot ulcers in people with diabetes. This review (157 participants) confirms that currently there is no research evidence to suggest that foam wound dressings are more effective in healing diabetic foot ulcers than other types of dressing. Current decisions on choice of wound dressing if any, should be based where possible, on dressing costs and selecting the most useful management properties offered by each dressing type, for example, the management of wound discharge.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Hydrogel dressings to promote diabetic foot ulcer healing | Cochrane
Diabetes, a condition which leads to high blood glucose concentrations, is a common condition with around 2.8 million people affected in the UK (approximately 3% of the population). Dressings are a widely used treatment when caring for foot ulcers in people with diabetes. There are many types of dressings that can be used, which also vary considerably in cost. This review (five studies involving a total of 446 people) suggests that hydrogel dressings may be more effective than basic wound contact dressings in healing foot ulcers in people with diabetes although the original research may be biased. There is insufficient research comparing hydrogel with advanced dressing types to allow conclusions to be drawn regarding relative effectiveness in terms of ulcer healing.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Alginate dressings for healing foot ulcers in people with diabetes mellitus | Cochrane
Diabetes mellitus, a condition which leads to high blood glucose concentrations, is a common condition with around 2.8 million people affected in the UK (approximately 4.3% of the population). Wound dressings are widely used to treat foot ulcers in people with diabetes. There are many types of dressings that can be used, which also vary considerably in cost. This review (six studies involving a total of 375 participants) identified no research evidence to suggest that alginate wound dressings are more effective in healing diabetic foot ulcers than other types of dressing. More, better quality research is needed.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Silver based wound dressings and topical agents containing silver for treating diabetic foot ulcers | Cochrane
People with diabetes can develop foot ulcers. These are often due to reduced blood supply, reduced sensation, a change in the amount of movement in the lower leg, a foot deformity or the presence of some trauma. Therapies for foot ulcers include pressure reducing or relieving footwear and wound care through frequent dressing changes. Healing the wound can be delayed by poor control of blood sugar levels, compliance with therapies and the amount of bacteria on the wound surface. Foot ulcers in people with diabetes frequently become infected. Silver is an antimicrobial and dressings which contain silver have been developed. The authors of this Cochrane review wanted to find evidence on whether silver based dressings reduced infection and encouraged wound healing. They searched the medical literature for randomised and controlled clinical trials but found no studies which were eligible for inclusion in the review. We therefore do not know if silver containing dressings and topical agents containing silver are beneficial to diabetic foot ulcer healing.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
