An Epidemiological Study on Diabetic Foot Ulcer Patients Hospitalized in Razi Hospital (Ahvaz) during 2007-2011
Ali Ehsanpour1* and Mohammad Momeni21Department of Internal Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishpur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran. 2School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
Abstract: Diabetes mellitus is one of the most prevalent diseases caused by endocrine disorders. The prevalence of this disease is dramatically increasing and the condition of diabetic foot ulcers is one of the most serious and costly complications of diabetes. This study aims to investigate the epidemiology of diabetic foot ulcers in Ahvaz, Iran. This is a cross-sectional study conducted on 1658 diabetic foot ulcer patients hospitalized in the Ahvaz Razi Hospital (Iran) during 2007-2011. Data were collected from the medical records of patients and then analyzed using SPSS 16 software. Of 1658 diabetic foot ulcer patients (52.11% male, 47.89% female), 270 patients (16.28%) have had an amputation at different levels, among which 172 patients (10.37%) were male and 98 (5.91%) were female. The average age of the study population was 59.73 ± 13.86 years ranging 17 to 110 years old. Fifty percent of the participants were 60 years or older. The mean number of hospitalizations was 1.95 ranging 1 to 27. The average hospitalization period was 14.24 days ranging 5 to 161 days. Diabetic foot ulcer is a common problem among diabetic men in Iran. Old age and male sex can be among predisposing factors. Our findings highlight the need to control and prevention programs to reduce complications and risk factors of diabetic foot ulcers.
Keywords: Diabetes mellitus; Diabetic foot; Epidemiology Back to TOC