Wound healing and diabetes mellitus

One of the leading causes of impaired wound healing is diabetes mellitus. Unlike other causes of altered tissue repair, there are multiple factors that contribute to the impairment. The impact of the altered healing is enormous, considering the number of diabetic patients that exist. Patients with diabetes may present with relatively minor wounds such as minor trauma after trimming a toenail or walking on a pebble. Minor wounds often lead to chronic, nonhealing ulcers that are predisposed to infection. It is not uncommon for the infection to lead to gangrene and, ultimately, the need for amputation. Indeed, diabetic patients have the highest amputation rate of any type of chronic wound. To expand the significance of the problem, one estimate suggested that admissions for foot infections constituted 20% of hospitalizations for patients with diabetes, and led to 50% of all nontraumatic lower limb amputations. In their lifetime, 25% of patients with diabetes mellitus are expected to have severe foot problems [ [1] Cunha B.A. Antibiotic selection for diabetic foot infections: a review. J Foot Ankle Surg. 2000; 39: 253-257 Abstract Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (74) Google Scholar ].