Foot ischaemia - a need for early rehabilitation

ABSTRACT

Ischaemia of the foot usually affects the elderly. The correlative study based on clinical data and pathological study has shown that maturity onset, diabetic foot ischaemia is usually due to severe arteriosclerosis. Because of the late presentation, most patients show end-stage obliterative vascular changes when first hospitalized which makes reconstructive surgery impossible. By early referral of all diabetic patients with infection, the number of below-knee or above-knee amputations can be reduced. Early prosthetic fitting is essential for the early rehabilitation of the patient. This paper was presented in part at the Commonwealth Caribbean Medical Research Council Meeting held at Bridgetown, Barbados in April, 1978. (AU)