Lower Extremity Burn Wound Healing in Patients with Diabetes

Patients with poorly controlled diabetes are at increased risk for complications following burn wounds on lower extremities, according to a poster presented at the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care Fall 2022. The poster’s authors presented a study reviewing outcomes of foot or ankle burns among diabetic patients divided into 3 groups based on A1c levels.

The authors identified diabetes as a significant and growing problem among patients in the US and noted that patients with diabetes often present with multiple complications affecting the lower extremities, including peripheral neuropathy and vascular disease. These complex health issues also put them at increased risk of injuries, including burns, to the foot and ankle and set them up for poor healing. The study sought to quantify the effects of higher A1c levels on recovery from burn wounds.

The study reviewed records from diabetic patients with foot or ankle burns from across 57 healthcare organizations and grouped them by A1c levels as well as by controlled (<7%), moderately controlled (7%-9%), and poorly controlled (>9%). Outcomes evaluated for each group included death, split-thickness skin grafting (STSG), and amputations. The review showed a correlation between higher A1c levels and increased rates of STSG, amputations, and infection, suggesting that patients whose diabetes is poorly controlled require extra care following burn injuries to lower extremities to avoid complications in healing.

Poster reference: McCown SA, Walters ET, Palackic A, Wolf SE. Diabetes Mellitus and its Effect on Lower Extremity Burn Recovery. Poster presented at the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC) Fall, October 14–16, 2022.