How Should a Diabetic Foot Ulcer be Treated?
The primary goal in the treatment of foot ulcers is to obtain healing as soon as possible. The faster the healing, the less chance for an infection. There are several key factors in the appropriate treatment of a diabetic foot ulcer: •Prevention of infection. •Taking the pressure off the area, called “off-loading.” •Removing dead skin and tissue, called “debridement.” •Applying medication or dressings to the ulcer. •Managing blood glucose and other health problems. Not all ulcers are infected; however if your podiatric physician diagnoses an infection, a treatment program of antibiotics, wound care, and possibly hospitalization will be necessary. There are several important factors to keep an ulcer from becoming infected: •Keep blood glucose levels under tight control. •Keep the ulcer clean and bandaged. •Cleanse the wound daily, using a wound dressing or bandage. •Do not walk barefoot. For optimum healing, ulcers, especially those on the bottom of the foot, must be “off-loaded.” Patie
