Lost 2 limbs due to diabetes complications

With just a small wound on his leg, due to carelessness, the 76-year-old man with a history of diabetes suffered necrosis in both limbs and had to have them amputated to save his life.

Surgeons treat gangrenous leg.

Recently, the Central Endocrinology Hospital received a case of severe bilateral foot necrosis infection due to diabetic complications.

A 76-year-old male patient residing in Hai Phong , has had type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure for over a year but has not received regular treatment.

At the time of admission, the patient had a high fever, was exhausted, thin, and had a severe infection in his left foot. His right foot had been amputated ¾ of the way (close to the heel bone). Both feet had widespread necrosis, foul-smelling pus, and pain.

According to the patient's family, about 3 months before being admitted to the hospital, the patient fell down the stairs, causing a purple toe on his right foot. During the Lunar New Year, the weather was very cold, so he wore thick socks to keep his feet warm. After about a week, the big toe of his left foot turned purple-black, and ulcers appeared on his feet.

The wound swelled, quickly became necrotic and spread to the other toes. After more than 2 weeks of ineffective treatment and care at a lower level facility, the infection spread, and the entire foot appeared black necrotic at the tip of the toes.

The patient was admitted to the Central Endocrinology Hospital. Test results showed high white blood cell counts and blood sugar levels exceeding the allowable threshold. Notably, the patient suffered injuries to his feet that could not be saved, so after an interdisciplinary consultation, the patient was advised to have both feet amputated to avoid the risk of further infection and save his life.

According to Master, Doctor Nguyen Ngoc Thien, Deputy Head of the Department of Foot Care, recently, especially after the Lunar New Year, the hospital has received many patients with serious complications of diabetes, necrosis of the feet, legs, feet and soft tissue abscesses on the body...

The above patient's case had very serious complications, so after surgery, the patient's condition was complicated, such as: infection, poisoning, severe anemia, body exhaustion, and the stump was at risk of necrosis and difficult to heal.

Patients receive active treatment including anti-infection, blood sugar control, nutritional supplementation, blood transfusion, stump care, daily wound cleaning, and other support.

After more than 2 weeks of treatment and comprehensive care, the patient's condition is stable, the wound at the stump has almost completely healed, eating and drinking activities have gradually returned to normal, mood is stable and waiting for discharge.

According to Dr. Thien, diabetics are susceptible to atherosclerosis, narrowed or blocked blood vessels will reduce blood flow to the feet, making ulcers take longer to heal. In cases of complete arterial blockage, the feet and toes can become completely necrotic. Patients often suffer from peripheral neuropathy, loss of sensation, and increased infection of the blood vessels.

Notably, for diabetic patients, foot ulcers are the leading cause of non-traumatic amputations. Treatment of diabetic foot is currently very difficult due to a lack of awareness of the severity of the disease. Most patients only come to the doctor when their feet are severely infected or gangrenous, at which point saving the foot becomes extremely difficult.

According to data from the Central Endocrinology Hospital, 5-7% of diabetic patients suffer from foot ulcers. The risk of amputation is 15-46 times higher than that of people without the disease. In addition, patients also suffer from retinal hemorrhage leading to blindness, kidney failure, atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, myocardial infarction, etc. Early detection and compliance with treatment help limit complications for patients.

TRAN LAM

Source: https://nhandan.vn/mat-2-chi-vi-bien-chung-dai-thao-duong-post740961.html