Acessibilidade / Reportar erro

Risk factors for mortality among patients undergoing major amputations due to infected diabetic feet

Abstract

Background

Foot ulcers in patients with diabetes are a major public health problem and are often associated with lower limbs amputation and mortality in this population.

Objectives

To investigate the risk factors associated with mortality in patients with infected diabetic foot ulcers and major lower limb amputations.

Methods

This was an observational, retrospective, case-control study with a sample of 78 patients with infected diabetic foot ulcers who had major lower limb amputations at a Vascular Surgery Service at a university hospital.

Results

The mean age of the study sample was 63.8 ± 10.5 years, 54 (69.2%) were male, mean serum creatinine was 2.49 ± 2.4 mg/dL and mean serum hemoglobin was 7.36 ± 1.7 g/dL. There was a 47.4% rate of readmissions to the same hospital. Transtibial amputation was performed in 59.0%; and transfemoral amputation in 39.7% of the sample. In this sample, 87.2% had a positive culture, predominantly (68.0%) monomicrobial and nosocomial infection of ulcers was observed in 30.8%. The most common bacterial genera were Acinetobacter spp. (24.4%), Morganella spp. (24.4%) and Proteus spp. (23.1%). No bacterial genus was identified as a predictor of death. Creatinine level ≥ 1.3 mg/dL (OR 17.8; IC 2.1-150) and transfemoral amputation (OR 4.5; IC: 1.3-15.7) were associated with death.

Conclusions

Serum creatinine levels ≥ 1.3 mg/dL and transfemoral amputation were risk factors for death.

Keywords:
diabetic foot; foot ulcer; infection; mortality

Resumo

Contexto

A lesão no pé de pacientes com diabetes é um importante problema de saúde pública que frequentemente está associado a amputações em membros inferiores e mortalidade nessa população.

Objetivos

Investigar os fatores de risco associados a mortalidade em pacientes com pé diabético infectado submetidos a amputação maior.

Métodos

Estudo observacional, retrospectivo e caso-controle. Amostra composta por 78 pacientes com pé diabético e úlcera infectada submetidos a amputação maior em um serviço de cirurgia vascular em um hospital universitário no período de 5 anos.

Resultados

A média de idade da amostra estudada foi de 63,8 ± 10,5 anos, com 54 (69,2%) pacientes do sexo masculino, com creatinina sérica média de 2,49 ± 2,4 mg/dL e hemoglobina sérica média de 7,36 ± 1,7 g/dL. Houve 47,4% de reinternação. Foi realizada amputação transtibial em 59,0% e transfemoral em 39,7% da amostra estudada. Nesta amostra, 87,2% dos pacientes apresentaram cultura positiva, predominantemente monomicrobiana (67,9%), e 30,8% apresentaram infecção hospitalar da úlcera. Os gêneros de bactérias mais frequentes foram Acinetobacter spp. (24,4%), Morganella spp. (24,4%) e Proteus spp. (23,1%). Nenhum gênero bacteriano foi identificado como fator de risco para óbito. O nível de creatinina ≥ 1,3 mg/dL (OR 17,8; IC 2,1-150) e a amputação transfemoral (OR 4,5; IC: 1,3-15,7) foram fatores de risco para o óbito.

Conclusões

Os níveis séricos de creatinina ≥ 1,3 mg/dL e amputação transfemoral foram fatores de risco para óbito.

Palavras-chave:
pé diabético; úlcera do pé; infecção; mortalidade

INTRODUCTION

The diabetic foot is an important public health problem, 11 Martins-Mendes D, Monteiro-Soares M, Boyko EJ, et al. The independent contribution of diabetic foot ulcer on lower extremity amputation and mortality risk. J Diab Complic. 2014;28(5):632-8. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jdiacomp.2014.04.011. PMid:24877985.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jdiacomp.20...
since it is the leading cause of hospital admission 22 Hadadi A, Omdeh Ghiasi H, Hajabdolbaghi M, Zandekarimi M, Hamidian R. Diabetic foot: infections and outcomes in iranian admitted patients. Jundishapur J Microbiol. 2014;7(7):e11680. http://dx.doi.org/10.5812/jjm.11680. PMid:25368803.
http://dx.doi.org/10.5812/jjm.11680 ...
and of hospital costs 11 Martins-Mendes D, Monteiro-Soares M, Boyko EJ, et al. The independent contribution of diabetic foot ulcer on lower extremity amputation and mortality risk. J Diab Complic. 2014;28(5):632-8. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jdiacomp.2014.04.011. PMid:24877985.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jdiacomp.20...
of patients with diabetes mellitus.

The mortality rate among diabetic patients is high and 5 million deaths due to diabetes were registered in 2015. 33 International Diabetes Federation – IDF. IDF diabetes atlas. 8th ed. Brussels: IDF; 2017 [citado 2018 fev 2]. http://www.diabetesatlas.org
http://www.diabetesatlas.org ...
Diabetic patients with foot ulcers have a mortality rate double that of diabetic patients without foot ulcers. 44 Iversen MM, Tell GS, Riise T, et al. History of foot ulcer increases mortality among individuals with diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2009;32(12):2193-9. http://dx.doi.org/10.2337/dc09-0651. PMid:19729524.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2337/dc09-0651 ...

Diabetic patients who undergo major amputation of a lower limb have low survival rates. 55 Moulik PK, Mtonga R, Gill GV. Amputation and mortality in new-onset diabetic foot ulcers stratified by etiology. Diabetes Care. 2003;26(2):491-4. http://dx.doi.org/10.2337/diacare.26.2.491. PMid:12547887.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2337/diacare.26.2....
Around 10% of lower limb amputation patients die during the perioperative period. Within 1 year of amputation, 30% of patients die; in the third year the percentage rises to 50%; and mortality is 70% over 5 years. 66 International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot – IWGDF. Guía práctica y específica para el tratamiento y la prevención del pie diabético (traducción español). Brussels: IWGDF; 2017 [citado 2018 fev 3]. http://iwgdf.org/map-es/
http://iwgdf.org/map-es/ ...
These percentages may increase in developing countries, since patients tend to seek medical care when the ulcer infection is advanced, increasing the risk of amputation and death. 55 Moulik PK, Mtonga R, Gill GV. Amputation and mortality in new-onset diabetic foot ulcers stratified by etiology. Diabetes Care. 2003;26(2):491-4. http://dx.doi.org/10.2337/diacare.26.2.491. PMid:12547887.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2337/diacare.26.2....

Diabetic patients can have a range of serious comorbidities, such as advanced age, cardiac disease, coronary disease, cerebrovascular disease, renal failure, and respiratory failure. Patients with diabetic foot may also have neuropathy, deformities, ischemia, and infected ulcers. 77 Mills JL Sr, Conte MS, Armstrong DG, et al. The society for vascular surgery lower extremity threatened limb classification system: risk, stratification based on wound, ischemia, and foot infection (WIFI). J Vasc Surg. 2014;59(1):34.e1-2. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jvs.2013.08.003. PMid:24126108.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jvs.2013.08...
Ulcer infections can be associated with mortality and high rates of non-traumatic lower limb amputations. 88 Turhan V, Mutluoglu M, Acar A, et al. Increasing incidence of Gram-negative organisms in bacterial agents isolated from diabetic foot ulcers. J Infect Dev Ctries. 2013;7(10):707-12. http://dx.doi.org/10.3855/jidc.2967. PMid:24129622.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3855/jidc.2967 ...

According to the Infectious Diseases Society of America, 99 Lipsky BA, Berendt AR, Cornia PB, et al. Infectious Diseases Society of America clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of diabetic foot infections. Clin Infect Dis. 2012;54(12):132-73. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/cid/cis346.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/cid/cis346 ...
ulcer infections can be classified as mild, moderate, or severe. An infection is considered mild when there is no damage to tissue structures, such as muscle, tendon, bone, or joints. The moderate classification is attributed when there is involvement of tissue structures with risk of lower limb amputation. An infection is considered severe when, in addition to involvement of tissue structures, there is also generalized sepsis associated with severe hemodynamic and metabolic disorders and danger of patient death. 77 Mills JL Sr, Conte MS, Armstrong DG, et al. The society for vascular surgery lower extremity threatened limb classification system: risk, stratification based on wound, ischemia, and foot infection (WIFI). J Vasc Surg. 2014;59(1):34.e1-2. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jvs.2013.08.003. PMid:24126108.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jvs.2013.08...
,99 Lipsky BA, Berendt AR, Cornia PB, et al. Infectious Diseases Society of America clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of diabetic foot infections. Clin Infect Dis. 2012;54(12):132-73. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/cid/cis346.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/cid/cis346 ...

Classifying the severity ulcer infections makes it possible to determine the correct treatment for the patient, which may be drug-based (antibiotic therapy) and/or surgical. Immediate and appropriate treatment of the infection can reduce its destructive effects and control the focus of sepsis. 1010 Neves J, Matias R, Formiga A, et al. O pé diabético com infecção aguda: tratamento no Serviço de Urgência em Portugal. Rev Port Cir. 2013;27:19-36.

Infections considered acute and superficial are normally monomicrobial 1111 Akhi MT, Ghotaslou R, Asgharzadeh M, et al. Bacterial etiology and antibiotic susceptibility pattern of diabetic foot infections in Tabriz, Iran. GMS Hyg Infect Control. 2015;10:1-6. PMid:25699225. and caused by aerobic Gram-positive cocci bacteria 1111 Akhi MT, Ghotaslou R, Asgharzadeh M, et al. Bacterial etiology and antibiotic susceptibility pattern of diabetic foot infections in Tabriz, Iran. GMS Hyg Infect Control. 2015;10:1-6. PMid:25699225.

12 Spicler A, Hurwitz BL, Armstrong DG, Lipsky BA. Microbiology of diabetic foot infections: from Luis Pasteur to ‘crime scene investigation’. BMC Med. 2015;13:1-13. PMid:25563062.

13 Lipsky BA, Aragón-Sánchez J, Diggle M, et al. IWGDF guidance on the diagnosis and management of foot infections in persons with diabetes. Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2016;32(Supl 1):45-74. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/dmrr.2699. PMid:26386266.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/dmrr.2699 ...
-1414 Miyan Z, Fawwad A, Sabir R, Basit A. Microbiological pattern of diabetic foot infections at a tertiary care center in a developing country. J Pak Med Assoc. 2017;67(5):665-9. PMid:28507348. ; and infections considered deep, chronic, or complicated predominantly involve Gram-negative bacteria. 88 Turhan V, Mutluoglu M, Acar A, et al. Increasing incidence of Gram-negative organisms in bacterial agents isolated from diabetic foot ulcers. J Infect Dev Ctries. 2013;7(10):707-12. http://dx.doi.org/10.3855/jidc.2967. PMid:24129622.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3855/jidc.2967 ...
,1414 Miyan Z, Fawwad A, Sabir R, Basit A. Microbiological pattern of diabetic foot infections at a tertiary care center in a developing country. J Pak Med Assoc. 2017;67(5):665-9. PMid:28507348.

Infections of ulcers in diabetic feet are primarily polymicrobial, i.e. there is more than one bacterial species present. Gram-positive, Gram-negative, aerobic, and/or anaerobic bacteria may be isolated. 1515 Sánchez-Sánchez M, Cruz-Pulido WL, Bladinieres-Cámara E, Alcalá-Durán R, Rivera-Sánchez G, Bocanegra-García V. bacterial prevalence and antibiotic resistance in clinical isolates of diabetic foot ulcers in the Northeast of Tamaulipas, Mexico. Int J Low Extrem Wounds. 2017;16(2):129-34. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1534734617705254. PMid:28682727.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1534734617705...
Polymicrobial infections can make healing of the ulcer less likely because of virulence factors secreted by the different species of bacteria present in the infection and, as a result, can lead to amputation and death. 1212 Spicler A, Hurwitz BL, Armstrong DG, Lipsky BA. Microbiology of diabetic foot infections: from Luis Pasteur to ‘crime scene investigation’. BMC Med. 2015;13:1-13. PMid:25563062. Additionally, a subsequent reinfection of the ulcer can also cause delayed healing of surgical wounds, worsening the patient’s prognosis. 1616 García-Morales E, Lázaro-Martínez JL, Aragón-Sánchez J, Cecilia-Matilla A, García-Álvarez Y, Beneit-Montesinos JV. Surgical complications associated with primary closure in patients with diabetic foot osteomyelitis. Diabet Foot Ankle. 2012;3(1):1-5. http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/dfa.v3i0.19000. PMid:23050062.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/dfa.v3i0.1900...

This study was designed to investigate risk factors associated with mortality among patients with infected diabetic feet who underwent major amputations.

METHOD

The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee at the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (Ethics approval certificate: 33623414.6.00005149) and authorized by the Department for Teaching, Research, and Extension at the hospital in which the study was carried out.

This is an observational, retrospective, case-control study with a sample of 78 patients with diabetic feet and infected ulcers. All patients underwent major amputation (above the ankle) and were admitted via the vascular surgery service to the Hospital Risoleta Tolentino Neves, a tertiary University Hospital in Belo Horizonte (MG), Brazil, from January 2007 to December 2012. All patients had had bacteriological cultures of deep tissues. Patients whose biological specimens had been collected using a swab were not included in this study.

All open lesions on the feet of patients with diabetes were defined as ulcers. All ulcers analyzed were deep, graded as ≥ 3 on the Wagner Classification, which corresponds to deep ulcers with formation of abscess or bone involvement, with localized gangrene or extensive gangrene.

No specific tests for neuropathy were conducted, but all of the patients in this sample had signs and symptoms compatible with diabetic neuropathy and lesions typical of the diabetic foot (in areas with sensory dysfunction and excessive mechanical stress). The medical team conducted vascular assessments by means of palpation of distal pulses, measurement of the ankle-brachial index, using Doppler ultrasound, but these data are not evaluated in this study.

Cultures in which there was no bacterial growth were considered negative. Cultures that grew two or more different bacteria were considered polymicrobial. A nosocomial infection was considered to have occurred if different bacterial genera were isolated in deep tissue cultures collected from the same ulcer at different times during the same hospital stay. 1717 Brasil. Ministério da Saúde. Portaria nº 2616, de 12 de maio de 1998. Refere-se sobre a obrigatoriedade da manutenção pelos hospitais do país, de Programa de Controle de Infecções Hospitalares. Diário Oficial da União. 1998.

The following variables were taken from the patients’ electronic medical records: age, sex, surgeries performed, deaths, serum hemoglobin and creatinine test results and results of bacterial cultures (including bacterial genera).

The case group comprised patients who had a major amputation and died; and the control group comprised the surviving patients who underwent a major amputation.

Statistical analyses were performed using Stata/SE 12.0 for Mac. Continuous variables were expressed as mean and standard deviation and analyzed using Student’s t test; categorical variables were analyzed using Pearson’s chi-square test or Fisher’s test (if the expected number of cases in one of the categories was less than 5). Risk factors for death after major amputation were identified using logistic regression analyses. Values that were statistically significant according to the Wald test (univariate analysis) were included in a multivariate model, and the final model was obtained by sequential removal of variables based on the results of the Wald test and the Hosmer and Lemeshow test. All models are shown. Statistical significance for selection of the final model was estimated using the Hosmer and Lemeshow test (p < 0.05).

RESULTS

Table 1 lists the data for the study variables from the 78 patients in the case-control study, both as the entire sample and separated by group and also comparisons between them.

Table 1
Comparison between study variables for patient sample and subsets.

Mean of age of the entire sample was 63.8 years (standard deviation [SD] 10.5), and 54 (69.2%) of them were male. The major amputation patients who died had higher mean serum creatinine levels – 3.65 mg/dL (SD 2.6) – and lower mean serum hemoglobin levels – 6.48 g/dL (SD 1.7) – when compared with major amputation patients who did not die. Approximately 53% of the patients were only admitted once, while 37 patients (47.4%) needed to be admitted more than once. Transtibial amputations were performed on 59.0% of the patients and transfemoral amputations on 39.7%. Although the majority of patients (59.0%) had transtibial amputations, transfemoral amputation (61.1%) was associated with death (p = 0.010).

Sixty-eight of the 78 patients (87.2%) had positive cultures and 12.8% had negative cultures. During the reference admission, 42 patients (53.9%) had just one bacterial culture from deep tissue samples, 21 (26.9%) had two cultures, and 15 (19.2%) had more than two cultures. Of the 68 patients with positive cultures, 67.9% of cultures grew just one microorganism, while 32.1% grew two or more different microorganisms. Nosocomial ulcer infection was recorded for 24 patients (30.8%).

Table 2 lists the bacterial genera isolated from bacterial cultures of deep tissue specimens from this sample of patients. The bacteria most frequently isolated from the subset of major amputation patients who died were Acinetobacter spp. (33.3%), Morganella spp. (33.3%), and Proteus spp. (27.8%).

Table 2
Comparison between groups of patients by genera of bacteria isolated in bacterial cultures from deep tissues.

Table 3 lists the results of the univariate analysis, with indicated that the following variables were significant: age, creatinine levels ≥ 1.3 mg/dL, hemoglobin levels < 11 g/dL, and transfemoral amputation.

Table 3
Univariate analysis of 23 clinical, laboratory, and bacterial variables.

Table 4 lists the results of the multivariate analysis, showing which factors were associated with death in this sample.

Table 4
Multivariate analysis of variables associated with patient deaths.

DISCUSSION

This study investigated risk factors associated with mortality in patients with infected diabetic feet who underwent major amputations. Serum creatinine greater than or equal to 1.3 mg/dL was considered a risk factor for death, as was transfemoral amputation.

In this study, patients with serum creatinine greater than or equal to 1.3 mg/dL had a risk of death almost 17.8 times that of patients with creatinine levels below this cutoff. Diabetic patients with nephropathy develop feet ulcers at double the rate of other diabetics. Among patients with diabetic nephropathy, the presence of ulcers on the feet is considered one of the primary causes of morbidity. These patients’ risk of amputation is 6.5 to 10 times greater, because the time taken for ulcers to heal is prolonged when serum creatinine is elevated. Additionally, mortality is associated with the severity of diabetic nephropathy. 1818 Abreu KC, Motta EAP, Gonçalves GOL. Prevalência dos fatores de risco em pacientes com nefropatia diabética atendidos em um centro de referência em nefrologia do estado do Maranhão. Rev Cienc Salud. 2014;16:73-8.

19 Akha O, Kashi Z, Makhlough A. Correlation between amputation of diabetic foot and nephropathy. Iran J Kidney Dis. 2010;4(1):27-31. PMid:20081301.
-2020 Shojaiefard A, Khorgami Z, Larijani B. Independent risk factors for amputation in diabetic foot. Int J Diabetes Dev Ctries. 2008;28(2):32-7. http://dx.doi.org/10.4103/0973-3930.43096. PMid:19902045.
http://dx.doi.org/10.4103/0973-3930.430...

In this sample, 39.7% of patients had a transfemoral amputation and 61.1% of this subset died. These patients exhibited a risk of death 4.5 times that of patients who had amputations at other levels. A diabetic patient has a 15 to 40 times greater risk of amputation than a person who is not diabetic. Transfemoral amputation patients manifest serious systemic diseases, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, renal failure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, among others. They therefore have a high mortality rate. 2121 Santos VP, Silveira DR, Caffaro RA. Risk factors for primary major amputation in diabetic patients. Sao Paulo Med J. 2006;124(2):66-70. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1516-31802006000200004. PMid:16878188.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1516-3180200...

The bacterial genus isolated from infected ulcers of diabetic feet was not a risk factor associated with mortality. The bacterial genera Acinetobacter spp. (33.3%), Morganella spp. (33.3%), and Proteus spp. (27.8%), all part of the Gram-negative group of bacteria, were the types most frequently isolated in cultures from the major amputation patients who died.

A study conducted at the Hospital Central, Santa Casa de São Paulo, Brazil, also observed isolation of Gram-negative bacteria, with 66% of cultures from deep ulcers (Wagner Classification ≥ 3) growing Gram-negative bacteria. 2222 Ohki AV, Galvão RC, Marques CG, Santos VP, Junior VC, Caffaro RA. Perfil microbiológico nas infecções profundas do pé diabético. Arq Med Hosp Fac Cienc Med Santa Casa São Paulo. 2010;55:15-7.

In the sample studied here, 12.8% of patients had a negative deep tissue culture, i.e., no bacteria were isolated. It should be noted that many of the patients studied would have already been treated with antibacterial drugs at other health centers, and use of antibacterials before collection of the biological material can cause a negative culture, masking the true result. 88 Turhan V, Mutluoglu M, Acar A, et al. Increasing incidence of Gram-negative organisms in bacterial agents isolated from diabetic foot ulcers. J Infect Dev Ctries. 2013;7(10):707-12. http://dx.doi.org/10.3855/jidc.2967. PMid:24129622.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3855/jidc.2967 ...

Polymicrobial cultures may be present in infections of deep ulcers in patients with diabetic foot. 1111 Akhi MT, Ghotaslou R, Asgharzadeh M, et al. Bacterial etiology and antibiotic susceptibility pattern of diabetic foot infections in Tabriz, Iran. GMS Hyg Infect Control. 2015;10:1-6. PMid:25699225. A patient with polymicrobial infection exhibits a slower ulcer healing process due to the presence of many virulence factors secreted by the different species of bacteria present in the infection. 1212 Spicler A, Hurwitz BL, Armstrong DG, Lipsky BA. Microbiology of diabetic foot infections: from Luis Pasteur to ‘crime scene investigation’. BMC Med. 2015;13:1-13. PMid:25563062. In this study, predominance of polymicrobial cultures (32.1%) was not observed and this variable was not considered a risk factor for death.

Certain factors can contribute to monomicrobial cultures.

Patients with recent ulcers, i.e., those that have been developing for a short period of time, tend to manifest monomicrobial bacteria isolation. 2323 Banu A, Hassan MMN, Rajkumar J, Srinivasa S. Spectrum of bacteria associated with diabetic foot ulcer and biofilm formation: a prospective study. Aus Med J. 2015;8(9):280-5. PMid:26464584. Since this is a retrospective study, it was not possible to determine the time since ulcer onset in these patients, because this detail was not recorded in the electronic patient records.

Use of antibacterials by patients before samples are taken can also lead to isolation of only those bacteria that are resistant to the antibacterial, since bacteria that were susceptible to the prior treatment will have been eliminated. 2323 Banu A, Hassan MMN, Rajkumar J, Srinivasa S. Spectrum of bacteria associated with diabetic foot ulcer and biofilm formation: a prospective study. Aus Med J. 2015;8(9):280-5. PMid:26464584. Many of the patients studied had been admitted to the institution already taking antibacterials prescribed at other healthcare centers.

The result of a culture of biological material can also be influenced by incorrect sample collection from the ulcer. The best specimens for analysis by culture would be collected from deep tissues free from contamination or necrosis, since collections from superficial tissues can reduce the number of pathogens isolated, resulting in monomicrobial cultures. 2424 Oliveira AF, Oliveira H Fo. Perfil microbiológico e de resistência antimicrobiana no pé diabético infectado. J Vasc Bras. 2014;13(4):289-93. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/1677-5449.0015.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/1677-5449.001...

Finally, limitations at the microbiology laboratory used should also be considered, since it cannot perform cultures of obligate anaerobes. Cultures for facultative anaerobes are primarily ordered in osteomyelitis cases. For this patient sample, there were no records of cultures of facultative anaerobes. Anaerobic bacteria are present in 15% of severe infections of diabetic foot ulcers. 1111 Akhi MT, Ghotaslou R, Asgharzadeh M, et al. Bacterial etiology and antibiotic susceptibility pattern of diabetic foot infections in Tabriz, Iran. GMS Hyg Infect Control. 2015;10:1-6. PMid:25699225.

In this study, the rate of nosocomial ulcer infections (30.8%) was not a risk factor for death. These infections may be related to contamination by hospital equipment or by the medical team’s hands, which could be colonized and come into direct contact with patients.

In this sample, male patients were the majority (69.2%) and mean age was over 60 years. Patients who died (68.3 years, SD 11.4) had a higher mean age than those who survived (62.4 years, SD 9.9) (p = 0.034). Advanced age has been identified as a risk factor for increased hospital mortality among patients who have major amputations preceded by lower limb ulcers. 55 Moulik PK, Mtonga R, Gill GV. Amputation and mortality in new-onset diabetic foot ulcers stratified by etiology. Diabetes Care. 2003;26(2):491-4. http://dx.doi.org/10.2337/diacare.26.2.491. PMid:12547887.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2337/diacare.26.2....

These patients had a 47.4% rehospitalization rate, but this elevated rate was not associated with death. In the majority of cases, the patient returned to the institution due to infectious complications related to the amputation stump. 2525 Brasileiro JL, Oliveira WTP, Monteiro LB, et al. Pé diabético: aspectos clínicos. J Vasc Bras. 2005;4:11-21.

This study is subject to certain limitations. First, the lack of data on certain variables is inevitable and is considered a characteristic of retrospective studies. The time since ulcer onset, considered an important factor, was not recorded. Another relevant factor is the laboratory’s limitations with relation to performing cultures of anaerobes. Furthermore, many tissue samples were taken from patients who may have been taking antibacterials prior to admission.

In conclusion, serum creatinine levels ≥ 1.3 mg/dL and transfemoral amputation were associated with death in patients amputated due to infected diabetic feet.

  • Financial support: None.
  • The study was carried out at Hospital Risoleta Tolentino Neves, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.

REFERÊNCIAS

  • 1
    Martins-Mendes D, Monteiro-Soares M, Boyko EJ, et al. The independent contribution of diabetic foot ulcer on lower extremity amputation and mortality risk. J Diab Complic. 2014;28(5):632-8. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jdiacomp.2014.04.011. PMid:24877985.
    » http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jdiacomp.2014.04.011
  • 2
    Hadadi A, Omdeh Ghiasi H, Hajabdolbaghi M, Zandekarimi M, Hamidian R. Diabetic foot: infections and outcomes in iranian admitted patients. Jundishapur J Microbiol. 2014;7(7):e11680. http://dx.doi.org/10.5812/jjm.11680. PMid:25368803.
    » http://dx.doi.org/10.5812/jjm.11680
  • 3
    International Diabetes Federation – IDF. IDF diabetes atlas. 8th ed. Brussels: IDF; 2017 [citado 2018 fev 2]. http://www.diabetesatlas.org
    » http://www.diabetesatlas.org
  • 4
    Iversen MM, Tell GS, Riise T, et al. History of foot ulcer increases mortality among individuals with diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2009;32(12):2193-9. http://dx.doi.org/10.2337/dc09-0651. PMid:19729524.
    » http://dx.doi.org/10.2337/dc09-0651
  • 5
    Moulik PK, Mtonga R, Gill GV. Amputation and mortality in new-onset diabetic foot ulcers stratified by etiology. Diabetes Care. 2003;26(2):491-4. http://dx.doi.org/10.2337/diacare.26.2.491. PMid:12547887.
    » http://dx.doi.org/10.2337/diacare.26.2.491
  • 6
    International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot – IWGDF. Guía práctica y específica para el tratamiento y la prevención del pie diabético (traducción español). Brussels: IWGDF; 2017 [citado 2018 fev 3]. http://iwgdf.org/map-es/
    » http://iwgdf.org/map-es/
  • 7
    Mills JL Sr, Conte MS, Armstrong DG, et al. The society for vascular surgery lower extremity threatened limb classification system: risk, stratification based on wound, ischemia, and foot infection (WIFI). J Vasc Surg. 2014;59(1):34.e1-2. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jvs.2013.08.003. PMid:24126108.
    » http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jvs.2013.08.003
  • 8
    Turhan V, Mutluoglu M, Acar A, et al. Increasing incidence of Gram-negative organisms in bacterial agents isolated from diabetic foot ulcers. J Infect Dev Ctries. 2013;7(10):707-12. http://dx.doi.org/10.3855/jidc.2967. PMid:24129622.
    » http://dx.doi.org/10.3855/jidc.2967
  • 9
    Lipsky BA, Berendt AR, Cornia PB, et al. Infectious Diseases Society of America clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of diabetic foot infections. Clin Infect Dis. 2012;54(12):132-73. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/cid/cis346.
    » http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/cid/cis346
  • 10
    Neves J, Matias R, Formiga A, et al. O pé diabético com infecção aguda: tratamento no Serviço de Urgência em Portugal. Rev Port Cir. 2013;27:19-36.
  • 11
    Akhi MT, Ghotaslou R, Asgharzadeh M, et al. Bacterial etiology and antibiotic susceptibility pattern of diabetic foot infections in Tabriz, Iran. GMS Hyg Infect Control. 2015;10:1-6. PMid:25699225.
  • 12
    Spicler A, Hurwitz BL, Armstrong DG, Lipsky BA. Microbiology of diabetic foot infections: from Luis Pasteur to ‘crime scene investigation’. BMC Med. 2015;13:1-13. PMid:25563062.
  • 13
    Lipsky BA, Aragón-Sánchez J, Diggle M, et al. IWGDF guidance on the diagnosis and management of foot infections in persons with diabetes. Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2016;32(Supl 1):45-74. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/dmrr.2699. PMid:26386266.
    » http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/dmrr.2699
  • 14
    Miyan Z, Fawwad A, Sabir R, Basit A. Microbiological pattern of diabetic foot infections at a tertiary care center in a developing country. J Pak Med Assoc. 2017;67(5):665-9. PMid:28507348.
  • 15
    Sánchez-Sánchez M, Cruz-Pulido WL, Bladinieres-Cámara E, Alcalá-Durán R, Rivera-Sánchez G, Bocanegra-García V. bacterial prevalence and antibiotic resistance in clinical isolates of diabetic foot ulcers in the Northeast of Tamaulipas, Mexico. Int J Low Extrem Wounds. 2017;16(2):129-34. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1534734617705254. PMid:28682727.
    » http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1534734617705254
  • 16
    García-Morales E, Lázaro-Martínez JL, Aragón-Sánchez J, Cecilia-Matilla A, García-Álvarez Y, Beneit-Montesinos JV. Surgical complications associated with primary closure in patients with diabetic foot osteomyelitis. Diabet Foot Ankle. 2012;3(1):1-5. http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/dfa.v3i0.19000. PMid:23050062.
    » http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/dfa.v3i0.19000
  • 17
    Brasil. Ministério da Saúde. Portaria nº 2616, de 12 de maio de 1998. Refere-se sobre a obrigatoriedade da manutenção pelos hospitais do país, de Programa de Controle de Infecções Hospitalares. Diário Oficial da União. 1998.
  • 18
    Abreu KC, Motta EAP, Gonçalves GOL. Prevalência dos fatores de risco em pacientes com nefropatia diabética atendidos em um centro de referência em nefrologia do estado do Maranhão. Rev Cienc Salud. 2014;16:73-8.
  • 19
    Akha O, Kashi Z, Makhlough A. Correlation between amputation of diabetic foot and nephropathy. Iran J Kidney Dis. 2010;4(1):27-31. PMid:20081301.
  • 20
    Shojaiefard A, Khorgami Z, Larijani B. Independent risk factors for amputation in diabetic foot. Int J Diabetes Dev Ctries. 2008;28(2):32-7. http://dx.doi.org/10.4103/0973-3930.43096. PMid:19902045.
    » http://dx.doi.org/10.4103/0973-3930.43096
  • 21
    Santos VP, Silveira DR, Caffaro RA. Risk factors for primary major amputation in diabetic patients. Sao Paulo Med J. 2006;124(2):66-70. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1516-31802006000200004. PMid:16878188.
    » http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1516-31802006000200004
  • 22
    Ohki AV, Galvão RC, Marques CG, Santos VP, Junior VC, Caffaro RA. Perfil microbiológico nas infecções profundas do pé diabético. Arq Med Hosp Fac Cienc Med Santa Casa São Paulo. 2010;55:15-7.
  • 23
    Banu A, Hassan MMN, Rajkumar J, Srinivasa S. Spectrum of bacteria associated with diabetic foot ulcer and biofilm formation: a prospective study. Aus Med J. 2015;8(9):280-5. PMid:26464584.
  • 24
    Oliveira AF, Oliveira H Fo. Perfil microbiológico e de resistência antimicrobiana no pé diabético infectado. J Vasc Bras. 2014;13(4):289-93. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/1677-5449.0015.
    » http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/1677-5449.0015
  • 25
    Brasileiro JL, Oliveira WTP, Monteiro LB, et al. Pé diabético: aspectos clínicos. J Vasc Bras. 2005;4:11-21.

Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    Oct-Dec 2018

History

  • Received
    03 Feb 2018
  • Accepted
    21 Sept 2018
Sociedade Brasileira de Angiologia e de Cirurgia Vascular (SBACV) Rua Estela, 515, bloco E, conj. 21, Vila Mariana, CEP04011-002 - São Paulo, SP, Tel.: (11) 5084.3482 / 5084.2853 - Porto Alegre - RS - Brazil
E-mail: secretaria@sbacv.org.br