Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Diabetic foot is a major health problem, especially when it is complicated by recurrences. It entails a heavy economic burden for the patient and for the health system. The objective of this work is to study the characteristics of diabetic patients with recurrent foot ulcer as well as the predictive factors of recurrence.

Material and Methods: This study is a retrospective cohort study from January 2020 to May 2022 involving patients hospitalized in our department for diabetic foot ulcer. The analysis was performed using SPSS 21 software.

Results: Out of a total of 175 patients, 64 patients presented a recurrence, i.e. 36.5%. The average age was 59 years with a sex ratio M/F of 1.5. The average duration of diabetes was 18 years. Regarding the characteristics of the patients, 87.5% were type 2 diabetics with an average HbA1c level of 8.9%. Regarding degenerative complications, 85.9% had a diabetic retinopathy and 66.15% presented peripheral neuropathy, while 68.7% had peripheral artery disease. Concerning the ulcers, 48.4% had neuropathic plantar ulcers while 39% had ischemic ulcers. Among the patients, 54.6% presented foot deformities, 18.7% presented a Charcot foot and 20.3% had a history of amputation. The evolution was favorable in 93.7%. Predictive factors of recurrence were age (P=0.01), diabetes duration (P=0.00), glycemic imbalance (P=0.00), microangiopathy mainly diabetic retinopathy (P=0.00) and peripheral neuropathy, existence of peripheral artery disease (P=0.00) and low socioeconomic status (P=0.00). Charcot’s foot, foot deformities and previous amputation were also predictive factors.

Conclusion: Recurrences of diabetic foot ulcers are quite common. Reducing them requires action on modifiable predictive factors and this through effective prevention and education.