title: Value of white blood cell count with differential in the acute diabetic foot infection.
abstract: The authors reviewed the admission leukocyte indices of 338 consecutive admissions (203 males, 135 females, mean age of 60.2 +/- 12.9 years) with a primary diagnosis of diabetic foot infection in a multicenter retrospective study. The mean white blood cell count on admission for all subjects studied was calculated at 11.9 +/- 5.4 x 103 cells/mm3. Of all white blood cell counts secured for patients admitted with a diabetic foot infection, 56% (189 out of 338) were within normal limits. The average automated polymorphonuclear leukocyte percentage was calculated at 71.4 +/- 11.1% (normal range 40% to 80%). Normal polymorphonuclear leukocyte values were present in 83.7% of subjects. The authors stress that the diagnosis of a diabetic pedal infection is made primarily on the basis of clinical signs and symptoms, and that a normal white cell count and white cell differential should not deter the physician from taking appropriate action to mitigate the propagation of a potentially limb-threatening pedal infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, San Antonio 78274-7776, USA.
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Armstrong
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Perales
authors.forename: R T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Murff
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Edelson
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Welchon
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017719:Diabetic Foot / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils; D012189:Retrospective Studies