Diabetic Ulcers

A few months back I had a patient who booked in to have his ‘blisters’ looked at. However, when he arrived I
was shocked to see exactly what you can see in the first picture…two active ulcers with a third area on the verge of breaking down.

This man had type 2 diabetes and did not realise how serious the lesions on his feet really were. In this case the sensation (feeling) in the feet was reduced meaning that the patient could not feel the pain associated with these ulcers.

I saw this patient each week for 9 weeks. I’ve included pictures from each week. Thankfully the patient’s circulation was good therefore with correct debridement, dressing and offloading, these ulcerations went on to heal fully.

Pain has an important role to play, although sometimes we don’t always appreciate it. It is extremely important that if you have reduced sensation or Diabetes, that you check your feet daily for breaks in the skin. It is also vital that you have a diabetic foot assessment carried out at least once a year- see blogs ‘Testing Circulation & Sensation’ and ‘Effects of Diabetes on the Lower Limbs’ for more details.

This patient was happy to share his story in the hope of raising some awareness and I greatly appreciate it.

Elaine.