The aim of this study was to compare outcomes of moderate and severe foot infections in people with and without diabetes mellitus (DM). We retrospectively evaluated 382 patients (77% with DM and 23% non-DM). We collected demographic data, co-morbidities and one-year outcomes including healing, surgical interventions, number of surgeries, length of stay, re-infection and re-hospitalisation. DM patients required more surgeries (2.3 ± 2.2 vs. 1.7 ± 1.3, p = 0.01), but did not have a longer hospital length of stay during the index hospitalisation (DM 10.9 days ±9.2 vs. non-DM = 8.8 days ±5.8, p = 0.43). After the index hospitalisation, DM patients had increased rates of re-hospitalisation for any reason (63.3% vs. 35.2%, CI 1.9-5.2, OR 3.2, p < 0.01), re-infection at the index wound infection site (48% vs. 30.7%, CI 1.3-3.5, OR 2.1, p < 0.01), re-hospitalisation for a foot pathology (47.3% vs. 29.5%, CI 1.3-3.6, OR 2.1, p < 0.01), and longer times to ulcer healing (151.8 days ±108.8 vs. 108.8 ± 90.6 days, p = 0.04). Patients with DM admitted to hospital with foot infections have worse clinical outcomes during the index hospitalisation and are more likely to have re-infection and re-admission to hospital in the next year.
Keywords: amputation; diabetic foot; infection; osteomyelitis; outcomes.
© 2024 The Authors. Wound Repair and Regeneration published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The Wound Healing Society.