TY - JOUR
T1 - How to create a hot foot line to prevent diabetes-related amputations
T2 - Instant triage for emergency department and inpatient consultations
AU - Miller, John D.
AU - Lew, Eric J.
AU - Giovinco, Nicholas A.
AU - Ochoa, Christian
AU - Rowe, Vincent L.
AU - Clavijo, Leonardo C.
AU - Weaver, Fred
AU - Armstrong, David G.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019, American Podiatric Medical Association. All rights reserved.
PY - 2019/3
Y1 - 2019/3
N2 - Emergency department visits for lower extremity complications of diabetes are extremely common throughout the world. Surprisingly, recent data suggest that such visits generate an 81.2% hospital admission rate with an annual bill of at least $1.2 billion in the United States alone. The likelihood of amputation and other subsequent adverse outcomes is strongly associated with three factors: 1) wound severity (degree of tissue loss), 2) ischemia, and 3) foot infection. Using these factors, this article outlines the basic principles needed to create an evidence-based, rapid foot assessment for diabetic foot ulcers presenting to the emergency department, and suggests the establishment of a ‘‘hot foot line’’ for an organized, expeditious response from limb salvage team members. We present a nearly immediate assessment and referral system for patients with atraumatic tissue loss below the knee that has the potential to vastly expedite lower extremity triage in the emergency room setting through greater collaboration and organization. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 109(2): 174-179, 2019).
AB - Emergency department visits for lower extremity complications of diabetes are extremely common throughout the world. Surprisingly, recent data suggest that such visits generate an 81.2% hospital admission rate with an annual bill of at least $1.2 billion in the United States alone. The likelihood of amputation and other subsequent adverse outcomes is strongly associated with three factors: 1) wound severity (degree of tissue loss), 2) ischemia, and 3) foot infection. Using these factors, this article outlines the basic principles needed to create an evidence-based, rapid foot assessment for diabetic foot ulcers presenting to the emergency department, and suggests the establishment of a ‘‘hot foot line’’ for an organized, expeditious response from limb salvage team members. We present a nearly immediate assessment and referral system for patients with atraumatic tissue loss below the knee that has the potential to vastly expedite lower extremity triage in the emergency room setting through greater collaboration and organization. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 109(2): 174-179, 2019).
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U2 - 10.7547/17-204
DO - 10.7547/17-204
M3 - Letter
C2 - 31135194
AN - SCOPUS:85066955025
SN - 8750-7315
VL - 109
SP - 174
EP - 179
JO - Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association
JF - Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association
IS - 2
ER -