INTRODUCTION: Research on diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) infection is limited to the first wound. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the relationship between wound classification (Wagner and SHID), and foot care against severity infection of DFU recurrent that may contribute to an increased susceptibility to infection among individuals with recurrent DFUs.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional design was used in this study involving 245 participants of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) was conducted at a Kitamura Wound Care Clinic, PKU Muhammadiyah, located in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, Indonesia, between September 2022 and February 2023. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to assess the relationship between the foot care practices and infection status. A linear regression test to examine the independent risk factors.
RESULTS: Wounds' characteristics regarding foot care practice group were significantly including more than 5 months wound heal from previous wounds (p = 0.045), the percentage of wound site on dorsal was higher in the foot care practice group (p < 0.001), the percentage had no deformity feet was higher in the foot care practice group (p < 0.001), the percentage had no previous amputation feet was higher in the foot care practice group (p < 0.001). Also, the percentage had grade three was higher in the foot care practice group (p < 0.001), the percentage had grade three was higher in the foot care practice group (p < 0.001), and the percentage had mild infection status was higher in the foot care practice group (p < 0.001). The predictors of diabetic foot infection were Wagner and SHID classification and foot care (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, and p < 0.01) respectively.
CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that foot-care behaviour in diabetic patients in Indonesia is poor. In addition, this study also has shown Wagner grading, SHID grading, and foot-care are predictors of infection in recurrent DFUs.
* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.