Routine foot examination: the first step towards prevention of diabetic foot amputation

There is not much data on the prevalence of potential foot problems in apparently healthy diabetic patients. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of these foot problems in India which is a country with a wide socio-economic and cultural variation. In the outpatient clinic, 1010 patients were examined for common foot problems such as dry skin, heel fissures etc. which could cause foot infections and were also apparently healthy diabetic patients tested for the presence of peripheral neuropathy and peripheral vascular disease. The results showed that these foot problems were more common among patients with lower educational status and also among those who wore the footwear for shorter periods of time. We concluded that proper foot examination on a regular basis forms an integral part of foot amputation prevention programme particularly in developing countries.