BSN Diabetes mellitus is a major health problem that affects as many as 16 million Americans. One of its major complications is non-healing foot wounds and infections. Twenty percent of current diabetics either have a foot wound or have had one within past years.
Several factors influence the diabetic toward the development of infected, non-healing wounds.
Diabetics can develop neuropathy, decreased level of sensation, in their feet and legs, making wounds difficult to detect before they become infected or septic. Also, diabetics can have ischemia, poor circulation, in their feet. If a wound or ulcer develops in the foot, healing is difficult, as the impaired circulation delivers decreased levels of oxygen to the wound. Diabetics can develop such poor lower extremity circulation that spontaneous tissue breakdown can occur. Because of these two factors, indetectability and poor circulation, diabetic foot wounds are prone to infection.