Demographic and socioeconomic profiles of patients admitted with diabetic foot complications in a tertiary hospital in belem – para

Abstract

Objective: to assess the socioeconomic and demographic profiles of patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of diabetic foot in a tertiary hospital in Belem-PA, Brazil, as well as to evaluate risk factors for lower limb amputations in such patients, classifying them according to the Wagner and PEDIS classifications. Methods: we conducted a descriptive, cross-sectional, unicentric, and analytical study carried out through a structured questionnaire. Results: the study consisted of 57 patients, aged between 48 and 84 years old, 66.7% being male. The average income ranged between one and three (61.4%) minimum wages and below one minimum wage (31.6%). Type II Diabetes Mellitus was predominant (86.0%). Concerning comorbidities, arterial hypertension displayed the highest proportion (62.3%), followed by dyslipidemia (52.8%). Smokers comprised 35.1% of the sample. Infectious diabetic foot (50.9%) and mixed diabetic foot (49.1%) were the most common. Of the 20 patients with previous amputation, 90% had undergone minor amputation, and 10%, major ones. Callosity (92.6%) was the most prevalent deformity. Fifty-four (94.7%) patients underwent surgery, those being debridement (24.1%), minor amputation (37.0%) and major amputation (38.9%). During hospitalization, 78.9% of individuals did not require ICU stay. Hospitalization time varied between three and 59 days, and 78.9% of hospitalized patients did not progress to death, but 43.1% of patients submitted to major amputations died. Conclusion: patients with diabetic foot followed-up have a low socioeconomic profile; most of them underwent surgical procedures, whether major or minor, due to the higher prevalence of infectious diabetic foot and/or non-adherence to non-operative treatment.