Outcomes of Diabetic Foot Ulcers in a Tertiary Referral Interdisciplinary Clinic: A Retrospective Canadian Study.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this work were to evaluate demographic data, healing rate, recurrence rate, amputation rate and death rate of patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) treated in a Québec outpatient diabetic foot ulcer multidisciplinary clinic. Another objective was to determine factors associated with higher ulcer recurrence.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of adults with diabetes with a DFU referred to a Québec City diabetic foot clinic between December 1, 2013 and May 1, 2019. The primary outcome was recurrence rate at 6 months after first ulcer healing. We also evaluated the recurrence rate at 12 months, mean and median time for ulcer healing, mean and median time before recurrence after first ulcer healing, amputation rate, mortality rate and factors associated with DFU recurrence.

RESULTS

Of the 85 patients included in the study, 26 (37.1%) and 36 (54.4%) had DFU recurrence at 6 months and 12 months, respectively, after first ulcer healing. Mean healing time from first consultation in the ulcer clinic was 19.64±21.02 weeks. Of the patients, 36.9% patients underwent lower limb amputation and 30.6% died during follow up. Both previous history of a DFU before first consultation and amputation after first DFU consultation were statistically significant risk factors for DFU recurrence at 12 months.

CONCLUSIONS

DFU recurrence was significantly higher in patients with a past history of DFU before the first one evaluated in the diabetic foot clinic and a previous history of amputation. Thus, systematic follow up should be done specifically with these patients.