The Effectiveness of Structured Teaching Program of Knowledge of Diabetic Foot Care among the Diabetic Patient
Author(s): Lavanya S, Meena P, Asha M and AR Bharathi*
Abstract
Diabetes mellitus is a global emergency, some 415 million people worldwide, are estimated to have diabetes. People with diabetes are at higher risk of developing several disabling and life-threatening health problems. Diabetic foot is one of the major complications in diabetes patients, affecting around 10-15% of the patients at some point of time in their lives and accounting for nearly 50% hospital admissions among diabetics. Diabetic foot complications cause huge economic burden to the society. The only way to cut short this problem is patient education, regular foot care, early detection of contributing factors, tight blood sugar control and selection of proper footwear. More than one million people with diabetes lose a leg every year because of their condition. This means that every thirty seconds a lower limb is lost to diabetes somewhere in the world. Most of these amputations are preceded by a foot ulcer.