Professionals of the Canarian Health Service (SCS) have published a "Action Guide for Diabetic Foot Prevention", one of the most serious complications generated by diabetes and sometimes derives in the amputation of all or part of a limblower.
The Minister of Health of the Canary Islands Government, José Manuel Baltar, and the general director of health programs, Elisabeth Hernández, have presented this guide today, of which 3,500 copies have been published, which will serve as a reference to doctors and care nursesPrimary and hospitable to address the health complications of the diabetic patient.
The patient's foot ulcers are among the most frequent complications, appearing in 15 % of cases throughout the course of the disease, with an annual global incidence of 2-3 %, and 17 % in those those in those those in those those in those in those those in those in those in those in those in those those in those those in those in those in those in those in those in those in those in those in those in those those in those in those in those in those in those those in those in those in those in those in those those in those in those in those in those in those in those in those in those in thoseWith neuropathy, and its prevalence ranges between 2 and 10 %.
Diabetics have between 15 and 40 times more possibilities of suffering an amputation of lower limbs than other people and diabetics with an ulcer in the foot will suffer an amputation in 14-20 % of the occasions, the Ministry points out in a statement in a statement.
The amputations of lower limbs in the whole of Spain show a rate in 2009 of 4.7 cases for 1,000 diabetic people for men and 1.7 for women, although, according to the geographical territory, these percentages vary.
In this sense, Baltar has affirmed that the objective of this guide is to improve the quality of life of diabetic patients, since "the complications of people with diabetes, are the most serious and expensive among all those caused by theDiabetes mellitus, because it is a great decrease of the quality of life of the people who suffer from it, with very dramatic consequences. "
The general director of Assistance Programs Assistance, Elizabeth Hernández, has remarked the loss of quality of life that supposes for diabetes the complications of the diabetic foot that "usually begins as a result of a foot injury, which may beproduced by a simple friction of inappropriate footwear or small wounds. "
Hernández added that "in most cases, the patient due to the absence of alarm symptoms, that is, of pain, since as a consequence of diabetes, sensitivity is reduced or canceled; it does not request health help until theInjury is in an advanced phase, which will have a considerably impact on its evolution. "
Therefore, this guide "arises from the need to unify and integrate the different actions that are carried out in the SCs against this important health problem, and for its elaboration the programs, protocols, initiatives and works have been taken into accountof research that has already been carried out, Hernández explained.
The general director has affirmed that the main actor of the disease is the patient himself, who "must be aware of the importance of the self-care of the feet, as well as the control of blood glucose and other cardiovascular risk factors, such asIt is smoking, inappropriate consumption of alcohol, arterial hypertension, dyslipremia and obesity, all of which, constitutes the basis of diabetic foot prevention. "
The "diabetic foot prevention guide" has been prepared by a multidisciplinary group of nursing professionals and the medicine of the two healthcare areas, primary and hospital care of the two provinces.
With his multidisciplinary vision, according to Hernández, "promoting the systematic exploration of people with diabetes and follow -up according to the clinical situation, by the different professionals and areas involved in diabetes care in the diabetes in the diabetes in theCanarian community ".
