Managing diabetic foot infections: a survey of Australasian infectious diseases clinicians

Duration of antibiotherapy for patients with diabetic foot osteomyelitis without amputation: a protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

Diabetic foot osteomyelitis (DFO) poses a serious threat to the quality of life and survival of patients, and systemic antibiotic therapy is effective and plays a pivotal role in the management of patients with DFO without amputation. However, the optimal duration of systemic antibiotic therapy is not clear. We aim to perform a network meta-analysis (NMA) to assess the efficacy and safety of different durations of antibiotic therapy for patients with DFO without amputation.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

We will search multiple databases, including the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP database, Wanfang Data, ScienceDirect, EBSCO, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and PubMed. The outcome indicators are remission rate, time needed for complete wound healing, major amputation rates and the rate of antibiotic-related adverse events. Risk of bias will be evaluated using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. NMA will be performed using STATA/MP V.15.0. The surface under the cumulative ranking area will be calculated to rank each treatment.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This study is a systematic review protocol collecting data from published literature and does not require approval from an institutional review board. Results from this systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42023486089.

Evaluating diagnostic tools, outcome measures and antibiotic approach in diabetic foot osteomyelitis: a scoping review and narrative synthesis

INTRODUCTION

Diabetic foot osteomyelitis (DFO) is a significant complication of diabetic foot disease; however, diagnosis remains challenging and treatment success is difficult to ascertain. Literature in this space that has utilized varying diagnostic criteria and ideal outcome measures for success is unclear.

AREAS COVERED

This scoping review assesses methods of diagnosis of DFO and definitions of treatment outcomes in the literature assessing antibiotic therapy for treatment of DFO.

EXPERT OPINION

There is a lack of consensus in the design of diabetic foot trials, resulting in difficulty for clinicians to assess and manage serious conditions such as DFO. The cure for DFO is challenging to ascertain and treatment failure may be a better approach to assess outcomes in research assessing the efficacy of antibiotic therapy. In the absence of gold-standard diagnostic tools, practical approaches to outcome assessment may allow for greater clinical applicability of available data.

Foot, ankle, and leg problems in Australian primary care: consultation patterns, management practices, and costs

OBJECTIVE

To explore consultation patterns, management practices, and costs of foot, ankle, and leg problems in Australian primary care.

STUDY DESIGN

We analyzed data from the Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health program, April 2000 to March 2016. Foot, ankle, and leg problems were identified using the International Classification of Primary Care, Version 2 PLUS terminology. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics examining general practitioner (GP) and patient characteristics associated with a foot, ankle, or leg problem being managed. Cost to government was estimated by extracting fees for GP consultations, diagnostic imaging, and pathology services from the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) database. Costs for prescription-only medicines were extracted from the Pharmaceutical Benefits Schedule and for nonprescribed medications, large banner discount pharmacy prices were used.

RESULTS

GPs recorded 1,568,100 patient encounters, at which 50,877 foot, ankle, or leg problems were managed at a rate of 3.24 (95% confidence intervals [CIs] 3.21-3.28) per 100 encounters. The management rate of foot, ankle, or leg problems was higher for certain patient characteristics (older, having a health care card, socioeconomically disadvantaged, non-Indigenous, and being English speaking) and GP characteristics (male sex, older age, and Australian graduate). The most frequently used management practice was the use of medications. The average cost (Australian dollars) per encounter was A$52, with the total annual cost estimated at A$256m.

CONCLUSIONS

Foot, ankle, and leg problems are frequently managed by GPs, and the costs associated with their management represent a substantial economic impact in Australian primary care.

The Efficacy of Local Antibiotic Delivery Systems Therapy in the Management of Diabetic Foot Osteomyelitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

PURPOSE

We aim to evaluate the efficacy of local antibiotic delivery systems in patients with diabetic foot osteomyelitis (DFO).

METHODS

The Web of Science, PubMed, and Embase databases were searched for relevant publications until March 2024. All studies evaluating the efficacy of local antibiotic delivery systems in patients with DFO were included. We calculated pooled risk ratio (RR) with 95% CIs for binary outcomes and mean difference (MD) for continuous outcomes. The Cochrane's risk of bias tool and methodological index for non-randomized studies (MINORS) assessment were used to evaluate the quality of studies.

RESULTS

A total of 9 studies with 491 patients were included in this analysis. The overall healing rate in antibiotic group was 0.85 (95% CI: 0.67, 0.97). Healing rates were significantly higher in the antibiotic group compared to the control group (RR: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.38). Furthermore, recurrence rates and amputation rates have no significantly difference between the antibiotic group and the control group (RR: 0.30, 95% CI: 0.04, 2.12 and RR: 0.22, 95% CI:0.03, 1.91), along with no significantly difference in healing time and hospital stays(MD: -7.87, 95% CI: -20.81, 5.07 and MD:-2.33, 95% CI:-5.17, 0.50). No obvious publication bias was observed in the funnel plot (Egger's test, P = .99).

CONCLUSIONS

Our meta-analysis found that diabetic foot osteomyelitis patients treated with local antibiotic delivery systems had better healing rates than the control group. However, no significant differences were found in healing time, recurrence, hospital stays, or amputation rates. Larger randomized controlled trials are necessary in the future.

IWGDF/IDSA Guidelines on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Diabetes-related Foot Infections (IWGDF/IDSA 2023)

The International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot (IWGDF) has published evidence-based guidelines on the management and prevention of diabetes-related foot diseases since 1999. The present guideline is an update of the 2019 IWGDF guideline on the diagnosis and management of foot infections in persons with diabetes mellitus. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) framework was used for the development of this guideline. This was structured around identifying clinically relevant questions in the P(A)ICO format, determining patient-important outcomes, systematically reviewing the evidence, assessing the certainty of the evidence, and finally moving from evidence to the recommendation. This guideline was developed for healthcare professionals involved in diabetes-related foot care to inform clinical care around patient-important outcomes. Two systematic reviews from 2019 were updated to inform this guideline, and a total of 149 studies (62 new) meeting inclusion criteria were identified from the updated search and incorporated in this guideline. Updated recommendations are derived from these systematic reviews, and best practice statements made where evidence was not available. Evidence was weighed in light of benefits and harms to arrive at a recommendation. The certainty of the evidence for some recommendations was modified in this update with a more refined application of the GRADE framework centred around patient important outcomes. This is highlighted in the rationale section of this update. A note is also made where the newly identified evidence did not alter the strength or certainty of evidence for previous recommendations. The recommendations presented here continue to cover various aspects of diagnosing soft tissue and bone infections, including the classification scheme for diagnosing infection and its severity. Guidance on how to collect microbiological samples, and how to process them to identify causative pathogens, is also outlined. Finally, we present the approach to treating foot infections in persons with diabetes, including selecting appropriate empiric and definitive antimicrobial therapy for soft tissue and bone infections; when and how to approach surgical treatment; and which adjunctive treatments may or may not affect the infectious outcomes of diabetes-related foot problems. We believe that following these recommendations will help healthcare professionals provide better care for persons with diabetes and foot infections, prevent the number of foot and limb amputations, and reduce the patient and healthcare burden of diabetes-related foot disease.

Antibiotic-loaded bone substitutes therapy in the management of the moderate to severe diabetic foot infection: A meta-analysis

In recent years, local antibiotic-loaded bone substitutes (ALBS) have been used increasingly in the treatment of diabetic foot infection (DFI). The meta-analysis aimed to analyse the efficacy of ALBS on patients with moderate to severe DFI (with or without osteomyelitis). With an appropriate search strategy, 7 studies were selected for analysis (2 RCTs and 5 cohort studies). The result showed that the application of ALBS effectively reduced the length of hospital stay (WMD -5.55; 95% CI: -9.85 to -1.26; P = 0.01), the recurrence rates (RR 0.33; 95% CI: 0.15 to 0.69; P = 0.003) and the mortality rates (RR 0.22; 95% CI: 0.06 to 0.82; P = 0.02). Compared to the control groups, however, there was no difference in healing rates (RR 1.06; 95% CI: 0.96 to 1.18; P = 0.26), healing time (WMD -1.44; 95% CI: -3.37 to -0.49; P = 0.14), the number of debridement (WMD -1.98; 95% CI: -4.08 to 0.12; P = 0.06) and major amputation rates (RR 0.76; 95% CI: 0.35 to 1.61; P = 0.47). The ALBS appears to have some beneficial effects as an adjunct to standard surgery in the treatment of DFI with or without osteomyelitis, as it reduces recurrence rates, mortality rates, and length of hospital stay, but there was no statistically significant difference in enhancing wound healing.

Retrospective study of outcomes of short versus long duration of antibiotic therapy for residual osteomyelitis in surgically resected diabetic foot infection

INTRODUCTION

Optimal treatment duration for residual osteomyelitis (OM) post-amputation in diabetic foot infection (DFI) remains unclear, with resultant heterogeneity in prescribing noted in clinical practice. We aimed to identify a difference in outcomes of long duration of antibiotics (LD) with short duration (SD) in patients with culture-positive proximal bone specimen post-amputation.

METHODS

In this single-centre retrospective cohort study (Melbourne, Australia), we analysed antibiotic duration of DFI patients requiring amputation with culture-positive proximal bone specimen over a 31 month period (January 2019-September 2021). Primary outcome was reamputation or debridement at the same and/or contiguous site of amputation at 6 months. Secondary outcomes were readmission to hospital and/or recommencement of antibiotics for DFI at the same and/or contiguous site at 6 months.

RESULTS

Among 92 patients (83% male, median age 67 years), 26 received <4 weeks (SD) and 66 received ≥4 weeks (LD) antibiotic therapy. In the SD group, primary outcome occurred in 9 patients (35%) compared with 15 patients (23%) in the LD group (P = 0.246). Both secondary outcomes occurred in 12 patients (46%) in the SD group compared with 18 patients (27%) in the LD group (P = 0.086). Adjusted logistic regression analysis showed SD was not significantly associated with primary outcome [OR 1.12 (95% CI 0.38-3.31)] or secondary outcomes [OR 1.67 (95% CI 0.60-4.66)].

CONCLUSIONS

This single-centre experience did not demonstrate significant difference in outcomes between antibiotic duration of <4 weeks and ≥4 weeks in DFI patients with culture-positive proximal bone specimen post-amputation. These data provide background for larger international randomized control trials to establish optimal treatment duration.

Challenges in the diagnosis and management of wound infection

Human epithelia are constantly exposed to microorganisms present in the environment or residing as part of commensal flora. Despite this exposure, infections involving the skin and subcutaneous tissue in healthy individuals are, fortunately, quite rare. Many of the wounds that afflict the human body occur in individuals of ill health and/or where the mechanism of wounding is impeded by host immunological, physiological or regenerative dysfunction. The interplay between microorganisms and host immunity is complex and remains ill defined; however, the interpretation of downstream manifestations of the host response to invading microorganisms is still based largely on the clinical signs and symptoms of an active infectious process. In this review article we will provide a brief overview of the current challenges clinicians face in diagnosing wound infections, how chronic infections caused by biofilms are a major challenge, and how there have been minimal advancements in developing new diagnostics or therapeutics in the identification and management of wound infections.

Opinions about the most appropriate surgical management of diabetes-related foot infection: a cross-sectional survey

Background

There is a lack of high quality evidence to guide the optimal management of diabetes-related foot infection, particularly in cases of severe diabetes-related foot infection and diabetes-related foot osteomyelitis. This study examined the opinions of surgeons about the preferred management of severe diabetes-related foot infection.

Methods

Vascular and orthopaedic surgeons in Australia and New Zealand were invited to complete an online survey via email. The survey included multi-choice and open-ended questions on clinical management of diabetes-related foot infection. Responses of vascular surgeons and orthopaedic surgeons were compared using non-parametric statistical tests. Open-text responses were examined using inductive content analysis.

Results

29 vascular and 20 orthopaedic surgeons completed the survey. One-third (28.6%) used best-practice guidelines to assist in decisions about foot infection management. Areas for guideline improvement identified included more specific advice regarding the indications for available treatments, more recommendations about non-surgical patient management and advice on how management can be varied in regions with limited health service resource. The probe-to-bone test and magnetic resonance imaging were the preferred methods of diagnosing osteomyelitis. Approximately half (51.2%) of respondents indicated piperacillin combined with tazobactam as the preferred antibiotic choice for empirical treatment of severe diabetes-related foot infection. Negative pressure wound therapy was the most common way of managing a wound following debridement. All vascular surgeons (100%) made revascularisation decisions based on the severity of ischemia while most orthopaedic surgeons (66.7%) were likely to refer to vascular surgeons to make revascularisation decisions. Vascular surgeons preferred using wound swabs while orthopaedic surgeons favoured tissue or bone biopsies to determine the choice of antibiotic. Respondents perceived a moderate variation in management decisions between specialists and supported the need for randomised controlled trials to test different management pathways.

Conclusions

Most vascular and orthopaedic surgeons do not use best-practice guidelines to assist in decisions about management of diabetes-related foot infection. Vascular and orthopaedic surgeons appear to have different preferences for wound sampling to determine choice of antibiotic. There is a need for higher quality evidence to clarify best practice for managing diabetes-related foot infection.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13047-022-00523-w.

Multiple factors predict longer and shorter time-to-ulcer-free in people with diabetes-related foot ulcers: Survival analyses of a large prospective cohort followed-up for 24-months

AIMS

To investigate factors independently associated with time-to-(being)-ulcer-free, time-varying effects and predict adjusted ulcer-free probabilities, in a large prospective cohort with diabetes-related foot ulcers (DFU) followed-up for 24 months.

METHODS

Patients presenting with DFU(s) to 65 Diabetic Foot Services across Queensland, Australia, between July-2011 and December-2017 were included. Demographic, comorbidity, limb, ulcer, and treatment factors were captured at presentation. Patients were followed-up until ulcer-free (all DFU(s) healed), amputation, death or two years. Factors associated with time-to-ulcer-free were investigated using both Cox proportional hazards and flexible parametric survival models to explore time-varying effects and plot predicted adjusted ulcer-free probability graphs.

RESULTS

Of 4,709 included patients (median age 63 years, 69.5% male), median time-to-ulcer-free was 112 days (IQR:40->730), with 68.4% ulcer-free within two years. Factors independently associated with longer time-to-ulcer-free were each year of age younger than 60 years, living in a regional or remote area, smoking, neuropathy, peripheral artery disease (PAD), ulcer size >1 cm², deep ulcer and mild infection (all p < 0.05). Time-varying effects were found for PAD and ulcer size limiting their association to six months only. Shorter time-to-ulcer-free was associated with recent DFU treatment by a podiatrist and receiving knee-high offloading treatment (both p < 0.05). Predicted adjusted ulcer-free probability graphs reported largest differences in time-to-ulcer-free over 24-months for geographical remoteness and PAD factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Multiple factors predicted longer and shorter time-to-ulcer-free in people presenting with DFUs. Considering these factors, their time-varying effects and adjusted ulcer-free probability graphs, should aid the prediction of the likely time-to-(being)-ulcer-free for DFU patients.

Establishing the national top 10 priority research questions to improve diabetes-related foot health and disease: a Delphi study of Australian stakeholders

INTRODUCTION

Diabetes-related foot disease is a large cause of the global disease burden yet receives very little research funding to address this large burden. To help address this gap, it is recommended to first identify the consensus priority research questions of relevant stakeholders, yet this has not been performed for diabetes-related foot disease. The aim of this study was to determine the national top 10 priority research questions for diabetes-related foot health and disease from relevant Australian stakeholders.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A modified three-round Delphi online survey design was used to seek opinions from relevant Australian stakeholders including those with diabetes or diabetes-related foot disease or their carers (consumers), health professionals, researchers and industry. Participants were recruited via multiple public invitations and invited to propose three research questions of most importance to them (Round 1), prioritize their 10 most important questions from all proposed questions (Round 2), and then rank questions in order of importance (Round 3).

RESULTS

After Round 1, a total of 226 unique questions were proposed by 210 participants (including 121 health professionals and 72 consumers). Of those participants, 95 completed Round 2 and 69 completed Round 3. The top 10 priority research questions covered a range of topics, including health economics, peripheral neuropathy, education, infection, technology, exercise, and nutrition. Consumers prioritized peripheral neuropathy and prevention-related questions. Health professionals prioritized management-related questions including Australia's First Peoples foot health, health economics and infection questions.

CONCLUSIONS

These priority research questions should guide future national research agendas, funding and projects to improve diabetes-related foot disease burdens in Australia and globally. Future research should focus on consumer priority research questions to improve the burden of diabetes-related foot disease on patients and nations. Further research should also investigate reasons for different priorities between consumers and health professionals.

Reduction in Diabetes-Related Major Amputation Rates After Implementation of a Multidisciplinary Model: An Evaluation in Alberta, Canada

BACKGROUND

Diabetes-related lower limb amputations (LLAs) are a major complication that can be reduced by employing multidisciplinary center frameworks such as the Toe and Flow model (TFM). In this study, we investigate the LLAs reduction efficacy of the TFM compared to the standard of care (SOC) in the Canadian health-care system.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the anonymized diabetes-related LLA reports (2007-2017) in Calgary and Edmonton metropolitan health zones in Alberta, Canada. Both zones have the same provincial health-care coverage and similar demographics; however, Calgary operates based on the TFM while Edmonton with the provincial SOC. LLAs were divided into minor and major amputation cohorts and evaluated using the chi-square test, linear regression. A lower major LLAs rate was denoted as a sign for higher efficacy of the system.

RESULTS

Although LLAs numbers remained relatively comparable (Calgary: 2238 and Edmonton: 2410), the Calgary zone had both significantly lower major (45%) and higher minor (42%) amputation incidence rates compared to the Edmonton zone. The increasing trend in minor LLAs and decreasing major LLAs in the Calgary zone were negatively and significantly correlated (r = -0.730, p = 0.011), with no significant correlation in the Edmonton zone.

CONCLUSIONS

Calgary's decreasing diabetes-related major LLAs and negative correlation in the minor-major LLAs rates compared to its sister zone Edmonton, provides support for the positive impact of the TFM. This investigation includes support for a modernization of the diabetes-related limb preservation practice in Canada by implementing TFMs across the country to combat major LLAs.

Availability and service provision of multidisciplinary diabetes foot units in Australia: a cross-sectional survey

BACKGROUND

With growing global prevalence of diabetes mellitus, diabetes-related foot disease (DFD) is contributing significantly to disease burden. As more healthcare resources are being dedicated to the management of DFD, service design and delivery is being scrutinised. Through a national survey, this study aimed to investigate the current characteristics of services which treat patients with DFD in Australia.

METHODS

An online survey was distributed to all 195 Australian members of the Australian and New Zealand Society for Vascular Surgery investigating aspects of DFD management in each member's institution.

RESULTS

From the survey, 52 responses were received (26.7%). A multidisciplinary diabetes foot unit (MDFU) was available in more than half of respondent's institutions, most of which were tertiary hospitals. The common components of MDFU were identified as podiatrists, endocrinologists, vascular surgeons and infectious disease physicians. Many respondents identified vascular surgery as being the primary admitting specialty for DFD patients that require hospitalisation (33/52, 63.5%). This finding was consistent even in centres with MDFU clinics. Less than one third of MDFUs had independent admission rights.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study suggests that many tertiary centres in Australia provide their diabetic foot service in a multidisciplinary environment however their composition and function remain heterogeneous. These findings provide an opportunity to evaluate current practice and, to initiate strategies aimed to improve outcomes of patients with DFD.

Bacterial diversity and inflammatory response at first-time visit in younger and older individuals with diabetic foot infection (DFI)

AIM

Infection of a diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is common. More than the half of DFUs become infected and 15-20% of them necessitate amputation in course of treatment. Diabetic foot infection (DFI) is therefore the major cause for non-traumatic lower limb amputation in Germany. Prompt and effective treatment of DFI is mandatory to safe limbs and lives. We investigated if there are relevant differences in evoked inflammatory response between different species and age-separated groups. We further investigated if there is an impact of ulcer localization on bacterial diversity.

METHODS

For a 12-month period, we investigated 353 individuals with infected DFU, their laboratory results and bacterial diversity at first-time visit in a Diabetic Foot Care Center in Southern Germany.

RESULTS

The ulcer microbiota was dominated by gram-positive species, primary Staphylococcus aureus. The gram-negative sector was mainly formed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacteriaceae (Proteus spp., Enterobacter spp., Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp.). With increase in age, P. aeruginosa and S. aureus became more frequent, while Streptococci decreased. Ischemic and/or deep wounds were more likely to bear gram-negative species. Inflammatory response did not differ between gram-positive and gram-negative species, while Streptococci and Proteus spp. induced the highest serum inflammation reaction in their category. Streptococci, Enterobacter spp. and E. coli were more frequent in summer, while Enterococci spp., coagulase-negative Staphylococci and P. aeruginosa were more prevalent in winter half-year. DFIs of the forefoot and plantar side are mostly caused by gram-positive species, while Enterobacteriaceae were most frequent in plantar ulcerations.

CONCLUSION

Gram-positive species dominate bacterial spectrum in DFI. With increase in age, S. aureus, Streptococci and Pseudomonas aeruginosa became more frequent. The inflammatory response did not differ significantly between different species, but gram-negative species were slightly but not significant more frequent in ischemic wounds. Climatic distinction like summer or winter half-year as well as foot ulcer localization seems to influence bacterial diversity in DFUs.

Clinical, Pathological and Microbiological Evaluation of Diabetic Foot Syndrome

Background and objectives: Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is one of the serious complications of diabetes, being related to frequent and long-term hospitalisation, reduced quality of life of the patient, amputations, a high rate of morbidity and mortality. The bacterial aetiology is complex, sometimes involving more than one pathogen, playing a major role in the infection prognosis and development of microbial resistance. This study evaluated the current state of the aetiology, clinical and pathological characteristics of DFU in a single diabetes centre in order to provide some specific measures to prevent it. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was conducted on patients with diabetes mellitus (252 individuals diagnosed with DFU) between January 2018–December 2019. All participants were assessed based on their clinical characteristics, including complications of diabetes and pathological and microbiological evaluations. Results: The present research revealed that diabetic foot ulcer prevalence was higher in males than in females and higher in type 2 diabetic patients than in type 1 diabetic patients. The patients with diabetic foot ulcer were older, had a higher body mass index (BMI), longer diabetic duration and had more diabetic complications, such as retinopathy, diabetic polyneuropathy and diabetic kidney disease, than patients without diabetic foot ulceration. Conclusions: Taking into account all factors involved, including the aetiology and the antibiotic susceptibility pattern of these isolates, planning the suitable treatment options of patients is possible.

Guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of foot infection in persons with diabetes (IWGDF 2019 update)

The International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot (IWGDF) has published evidence-based guidelines on the prevention and management of diabetic foot disease since 1999. This guideline is on the diagnosis and treatment of foot infection in persons with diabetes and updates the 2015 IWGDF infection guideline. On the basis of patient, intervention, comparison, outcomes (PICOs) developed by the infection committee, in conjunction with internal and external reviewers and consultants, and on systematic reviews the committee conducted on the diagnosis of infection (new) and treatment of infection (updated from 2015), we offer 27 recommendations. These cover various aspects of diagnosing soft tissue and bone infection, including the classification scheme for diagnosing infection and its severity. Of note, we have updated this scheme for the first time since we developed it 15 years ago. We also review the microbiology of diabetic foot infections, including how to collect samples and to process them to identify causative pathogens. Finally, we discuss the approach to treating diabetic foot infections, including selecting appropriate empiric and definitive antimicrobial therapy for soft tissue and for bone infections, when and how to approach surgical treatment, and which adjunctive treatments we think are or are not useful for the infectious aspects of diabetic foot problems. For this version of the guideline, we also updated four tables and one figure from the 2016 guideline. We think that following the principles of diagnosing and treating diabetic foot infections outlined in this guideline can help clinicians to provide better care for these patients.

Antimicrobial stewardship opportunities among inpatients with diabetic foot infections: microbiology results from a tertiary hospital multidisciplinary unit

Among 125 inpatients with diabetic foot infections managed by a multidisciplinary foot ulcer unit, knowledge of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonisation status assisted decision-making to prescribe appropriately or with-hold empiric anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus therapy. Despite adherence to national guidelines, apparent overuse of anti-pseudomonal therapy was frequent, providing potential antimicrobial stewardship opportunities.

Oral Flucloxacillin for Treating Osteomyelitis: A Narrative Review of Clinical Practice

Flucloxacillin (FLU) administered by the oral route is widely used for treating various infections, but there are no published retrospective or prospective trials of its efficacy, or its advantages or disadvantages compared to parenteral treatment or other antibiotics for treating osteomyelitis. Based on published in vitro data and expert opinions, other non-β-lactam oral antibiotics that have better bone penetration are generally preferred over oral FLU. We reviewed the literature for studies of oral FLU as therapy of osteomyelitis (OM), stratified by acute versus chronic and pediatric versus adult cases. In striking contrast to the prevailing opinions and the few descriptive data available, we found that treatment of OM with oral FLU does not appear to be associated with more clinical failures compared to other oral antibiotic agents. Because of its narrow antibiotic spectrum, infrequent severe adverse effects, and low cost, oral FLU is widely used in clinical practice. We therefore call for investigators to conduct prospective trials investigating the effectiveness and potential advantages of oral FLU for treating OM.

Bacterial Diversity of Diabetic Foot Ulcers: Current Status and Future Prospectives

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) and diabetic foot infections (DFIs) are associated with reduced patient quality of life, lower-extremity amputation, hospitalization, and high morbidity and mortality. Diverse bacterial communities have been identified in DFUs/DFIs, playing a significant role in infection prognosis. However, due to the high heterogeneity of bacterial communities colonized in DFUs/DFIs, culture-based methods may not isolate all of the bacterial population or unexpected microorganisms. Recently, high sensitivity and specificity of DNA (metagenomics) and RNA (metatranscriptomics) technologies have addressed limitations of culture-based methods and have taken a step beyond bacterial identification. As a consequence, new advances obtained from DNA- and RNA-based techniques for bacterial identification can improve therapeutic approaches. This review evaluated the current state of play in aetiology of DFUs/DFIs on culture and molecular approaches, and discussed the impact of metagenomic and metatranscriptomic methods in bacterial identification approaches.

Multidisciplinary diabetic foot care in Sweden - A national survey

AIM

To investigate at a national level the multidisciplinary team (MDT) care of patients with diabetes mellitus and foot complications.

METHODS

A questionnaire was sent to all 75 Swedish hospitals with emergency departments, which were grouped according to size.

RESULTS

The response rate was 92%, 58/69 of the hospitals have a foot team. Most teams have access to an internal medicine specialist/diabetologist, podiatrist and orthotist. Fewer teams reported access to an orthopaedic surgeon and infectious diseases specialist and only half to a vascular surgeon. In joint MDT outpatient evaluations, the majority report the presence of an internal medicine specialist, podiatrist and orthotist, but 50% an infectious disease specialist and orthopaedic surgeon and only a few a vascular surgeon. In hospitalized patients, there is a reduction in the presence of all specialists. The registration of amputation rate and healed foot ulcers is low.

CONCLUSIONS

MDT care is mostly adopted among large and medium-sized hospitals in contrast to small ones, which could reflect unequal health care. Vascular surgeons seldom are present at MDT evaluations and there is a reduced regular input of specialists in the evaluation of hospitalized patients. The hospitals' ability to evaluate their work by potential quality control markers is poor.