Introduction to diabetic foot ulcers

DFUs occur in approximately 25% of patients with diabetes, increasing the risk of infection, amputation and even death. The key priorities are to identify patients at risk of developing a DFU, use offloading to prevent and heal ulcers and prevent DFUs from becoming infected. It is also advisable for treatment goals to be set by both the multidisciplinary footcare team and the patient, as this will prevent unnecessary suffering for the patient, and help keep treatment costs to a minimum for the health care system.