[Treatment of moist gangrene of the foot in patients with diabetes mellitus].

The authors generalized their experience in the treatment of 159 patients aged 21 to 84 with diabetes mellitus and pyonecrotic lesions of the lower limbs. On the basis of the results of rheovasography, aortoarteriography, and roentgenography of the foot bones they concluded that to prognosticate the possibility of preserving the supporting function of the limb, not only the level and extent of the gangrene but also the state of the main and the collateral blood flow in the limb and the spread of bone destruction in the foot must be taken into account. Pathogenetic nonoperative treatment including antibacterial therapy, transfusion of hemo- and rheomodulators, and the use of hemosorption made it possible to convert moist to dry gangrene in 86.8% of patients, expand the indications for "minor" amputations, and reduce the number of high amputations from 56.2 to 35.8% and the total mortality from 10.2 to 4.4%.