Diabetic foot is one of the most important complications of diabetes mellitus (DM) and it is an ordinary cause of hospitalization. The costs of these hospitalizations and the social charge are serious health problems. To evaluate diabetic hospitalized patients with foot lesions, we studied 23 patients (14M, 9F; 39-80 years old), from April to November 1999. All had type 2 DM and 48% showed glucose levels <200mg/dL when admitted into the hospital. Foot lesions were categorized as follow (according to Wagner): grade 1: 26%; grade 2: 17%; grade 3: 13%; grade 4: 35%; grade 5: 9%. Sixty-five percent of the patients evolved to amputations (30% at thigh level). Median time of the hospitalization was 14 days. Median cost was R$1,004 and in 24% of the hospitalizations it was higher than R$2,000. If we aggregate the mean expenditure with prosthesis (R$1,900), the charges are around R$3,000. Nine patients were at economically active age. Patients with foot lesions are responsible for long time hospitalizations with high costs, which is inadequate to the public health care system in our country. Consequently, prevention is absolutely significant to improve the prognosis of this pathology.
Diabetes mellitus; Amputation; Diabetic foot; Health expenditures
