Managing diabetic foot ulcers: best practice

The need for standardised
care in diabetes has been
highlighted by the development
of numerous clinical guidelines
and best practice statements
from key sources such as the
National Institute for Health
and Clinical Excellence (NICE,
2004); the Department of
Health (Dept of Health, 2001);
the Scottish Intercollegiate
Guidelines Network, (SIGN,
2001), and the Royal College
of General Practitioners
(Hutchinson et al, 2000) (Table
1). New evidence is constantly
emerging within the field
of diabetes care, making it
difficult for the non-specialist
practitioner to remain up-todate
with current best evidence.
This review aims to identify the
basic requirements of diabetic
foot examination and to define
best practice for effective
management of diabetic
foot ulceration through the
exploration of 10 key elements.