All patients need to ensure their surgical incision sites are cared for properly, but that sentiment rings even truer for diabetic patients who are more likely to be hospitalized as a result of developing an infection. This is especially true for patients who develop foot infections.
To get a better understanding of hospitalization risk after the onset of an infection, researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health studied more than 12,000 participants in a community cohort study for an average for 24 years. When they reviewed evidence as it related to hospitalization risk after the onset of an infection, researchers were shocked at their stark findings:
- Patients with diabetes faced a 67 percent increased risk of infection-related hospitalization compared to those without diabetes.
- Risk of hospitalization because of a foot infection was nearly six times higher for diabetics compared to non-diabetics
- Diabetes may also be associated with a 72 percent increased risk of infection-related mortality.
In response to the findings, study authors called for “broader guidance on infection prevention and management” in individuals with diabetes.
Diabetes And Infection Risk
This isn’t the first study to highlight the connection between diabetes and infection risk, but it adds to our current knowledge and provides another possible link between the two. Aside from the potential for inhibited blood flow as a result of blood vessel damage because of diabetes, researchers say that glycemic control may also be a factor.
“One likely factor is glycemic control: emerging research suggests patients with diabetes with better glycemic control may be at significantly lower risk of infection-related complications,” researchers wrote.
As you can see, it’s imperative for diabetic patients and their care providers to do everything in their power to help reduce infection risk. For doctors, this involves meticulously reviewing patient charts, talking to the patients about the importance of blood sugar management, strict tool and operation room disinfection, and explaining to patients how to best care for their wounds after the operation.
Patients also play a big role in helping to prevent infections and complications in the wake of an operation. Strict monitoring and healthy adjustment of blood sugar levels is key, and it’s extremely important to clean the incision site regularly as advised by your physician. You’ll also want to choose a surgeon we has an impeccable track record when it comes to infection and complication prevention, like Dr. Silverman (read real patient reviews here).
So if you are diabetic and a surgical operation is in your future, especially if it is a foot surgery, talk to your specialist about infection prevention and how to spot the signs of an issue at the incision site. These infections can jeopardize the integrity of your surgery, lead to the loss of a limb, and can even be fatal on rare occasions. Trust your operation to an experienced surgeon who will do everything they can to ensure your operation and recovery are a success.