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Startling data unveiled about infection-induced amputation from landmark study on diabetic foot infection
Jun 2, 2006 - 11:16:00 PM, Reviewed by: Dr. Sanjukta Acharya
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"The results strongly suggested that foot infections are common and complex. They are also costly in terms of morbidity,"
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By Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science,
Persons with diabetes who develop an infection are at a 55-fold greater risk for hospitalization, and an alarming 154-fold greater risk for amputation. These are some of the startling figures emanating from the first population-based study on diabetic foot infection. Researchers from Texas A&M University, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, and the University of Washington collected data on nearly 1,700 patients over a two-year period.
"The results strongly suggested that foot infections are common and complex. They are also costly in terms of morbidity," noted Dr. Lawrence A. Lavery of Texas A&M, the lead author on the study.
The study also found that nearly 9 in 10 amputations performed are instigated by an infection. "This was perhaps the most interesting figure in the study," noted David G. Armstrong, DPM, PhD, Professor of Surgery and Director of Scholl's Center for Lower Extremity Ambulatory Research at Rosalind Franklin University and one of the study's principal investigators.
"It is infection that is the spark that led to nearly all amputations in this study," said Armstrong. "Poor circulation, while critically important, did not necessarily cause amputation. It determined the level of amputation. This subtlety makes a significant difference when designing strategies for prevention." 
- The study is published in the June issue of the journal Diabetes Care.
www.rosalindfranklin.edu
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science educates medical doctors, health professionals and biomedical scientists in a personalized atmosphere. The University is located at 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, and encompasses Chicago Medical School, College of Health Professions, Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine, and School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Visit at www.rosalindfranklin.edu and www.lifeindiscovery.com.
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