Abstract

AN ANALYSIS OF THE INCIDENCE OF OSTEOMYELITIS IN DAIBETIC FOOT INFECTIONS AND ANTIBIOGRAM

Keerthiraj MA, Alphonsa Mary Job*, Reshmina Chandni Clara D. Souza, Sheldon George Mathias, Shubha N. Rao and Rahul P. Nambiar

ABSTRACT

Introduction: India is the diabetic capital of the world. Diabetic foot osteomyelitis is the dreaded complications of diabetes mellitus that is faced by the surgeon. It tends to take place in about 33% of diabetic foot infections. In view of this we conducted a study on incidence of diabetic foot osteomyelitis at a tertiary care center. Materials and Methods: A study was performed at a tertiary care hospital in India. 515 Diabetic patients with foot ulcers were recruited in the study during the year October 2019 to November 2021 at Father Muller Medical College Hospital Kankanady and Father Muller Rural Hospital, Thumbay after obtaining written informed consent. All subjects underwent detailed clinical examination. Foot x-ray was done and cases which showed evidence of osteomyelitis were chosen for the study. Culture samples after debriding the wound were collected aseptically from the wound for isolation and identification of bacteria. Results: The mean duration of diabetes mellitus in those who had osteomyelitis was 42.67 years and in those who did not have was 6.5 years, most belonged to age group who had osteomyelitis was 65-75 years and in those who did not have was 55-65 years. Altogether in 89 bacteria were isolated from cases. Among 82 bacterial isolates, 54 (63 %) were Gram negative. Conclusion: Diabetic foot osteomyelitis occurs in later stages of the disease in those who have had recurrent foot infections. The commonest site being the base of the distal phalanx are caused majority by polymicrobial infections gram negative bacteria, followed by gram positive organism.

Keywords: Diabetics, Foot, Osteomyelitis, Polymicrobial.