Foot Care Project for Diabetic Patients in Sikiew Hospital, Nakhon Ratchasima Province

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic illness which can disturb quality of life and has various complications. Objective: To evaluation Foot Care project for diabetic patients in Sikiew Hospital, Nakhon Ratchasima province. Patients & Methods: Medical records of diabetic patients in non-communicable disease (NCD) clinic, Sikiew Hospital, Nakhon Ratchasima province during budget year 2003-2006 were reviewed and the data were used for processing Foot Care project for diabetic patients in budget year 2007. The patients were assessed about knowledge and followed up for 1 year such as blood sugar level, in-patient data of DM foot were also analysed. Result: During budget year 2003-2006, 46 DM foot patients were hospitalized with 61 admissions. Their mean age was 58.7±13.7 years and the average hospital stay was 12.5±13.6 days. Most of them (33%) had unknown cause of DM foot ulcer. During the Foot Care Project in budget year 2007, 1,672 diabetic patients attended in NCD and 1,187 cases (70.9%) received instruction on proper foot care and 86.2% of these achieved good result of evaluation in foot care. After 1 year of this project, 150 of 533 patients (9% of diabetic patients in NCD) who had fasting blood sugar over 200 mg%, were evaluated in foot examination and 58 patients were at risk of foot infection. Only 3 patients in foot care project were admitted with DM foot. Conclusion: Foot Care Project for Diabetic Patients in Sikiew Hospital, Nakhon Ratchasima Province can decrease DM foot incidence, hospital admission period and its severity and can facilitate its therapy.