Diabetic Foot Infections
Are you an attorney with a firm representing a provider or facility that cares for and/or manages Diabetic Foot Infections (DFI)? Or perhaps you represent a patient who has developed an infection? Continue on to read the blog below to learn more about this type of infection.
More than 18 million people worldwide are afflicted by Diabetic Foot Ulcers (DFU), including 1.6 million in the US alone. DFU precedes 80% of amputations among diabetic patients and are associated with an increased risk of death. DFU are associated with impaired physical function, reduced quality of life and increased health care utilization.
Neurological, vascular and biomechanical factors contribute to DFU and over 50% become infected, with over 20% of the moderate to severe ones requiring amputation. Classifying Ulcers based on the degree of tissue loss, ischemia and infection can help identify the risk of limb threatening disease. One such classification system is called the Wound
Ischemia Foot Infection (Wifi) classification system, and calculating a score using this system can predict the risk for subsequent need for amputation.
Multiple interventions have been shown to reduce the risk of DFU compared with usual care. Multidisciplinary care, typically consisting of podiatrists, infectious diseases specialists and vascular surgeons, in close collaboration with primary care providers, is associated with lower amputation rates relative to usual care. In addition to these specialists, the team should also include clinicians with expertise in rehabilitation, nutrition and psychological care. Despite the above, after a DFU has healed, recurrence is common-estimated to occur in 42% of patients at 1 year.
Source: Armstrong et al Diabetic Foot Ulcers A Review. JAMA 2023;330:1:62-75
Infectious Diseases Expert Consulting Services, PLLC, is dedicated to providing expert insights and analysis for cases involving diabetic foot complications. With specialized knowledge in infectious diseases, Infectious Diseases Expert Consulting Services possesses the expertise to support your legal team, navigate the complexities of these cases and provide valuable guidance and expert testimony
If you seek an expert opinion from a medical expert witness, with expertise including Diabetic Foot Infections, to render an opinion on causation, or to help determine if the standard of care was met or not, please contact Expert Infectious Diseases Consulting Services, PLLC today at (720) 446-6828
