Endocrine Abstracts

JOINT3569

Introduction: Foot infections in individuals with diabetes represent a major public health issue. They are not only responsible for numerous hospitalizations but can also compromise both functional and vital prognoses.

Objectives: To analyze the epidemiological, clinical, and therapeutic characteristics of infected diabetic foot.

Patients and Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study involving patients hospitalized for diabetic foot infections in our department from January 2018 to September 2024. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 27.0 software.

Results: Our study included 278 patients with a mean age of 56 ± 11.63 years and a male-to-female sex ratio of 1.28. Type 2 diabetes was observed in 85% of patients, with an average disease duration of 14 years and a mean HbA1c of 14.48%. The most common types of lesions were: dermohypodermitis (DHD) in 24.5%, diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) complicated by osteitis in 24.5%, DFUs complicated solely by DHD in 23.74%, and DFUs complicated by both DHD and osteitis in 23.74%. The primary trigger was inappropriate footwear in 50.4% of cases. Management included offloading, daily wound dressing, adapted antibiotic therapy, and specialized education. Third-generation cephalosporins were the most prescribed antibiotics (91%), followed by ciprofloxacin (77%), metronidazole (66.9%), and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid in 8.2%. Outcomes were favorable in 85.6% of cases, with a mean healing time of 43.5 ± 23.76 days.

Conclusions: This study highlights the complexity of managing diabetic foot infections. It underscores the importance of a multidisciplinary approach combining local care, rigorous medical follow-up, and tailored patient education.