title: Preventing the first or recurrent ulcers.
abstract: Prevention is overlooked and underused, even in very high-risk patients. Prevention is best achieved within a multispecialty group of providers that have a common objective. Ideally, the team approach should include educators; physical therapists; nurses; internist; pedorthists; and vascular, orthopedic, and podiatric surgeons. The basic elements involve education, foot examination, risk classification, therapeutic shoes and insoles, and regular foot care. High-risk patients need additional assessment for vascular disease and intensive disease management, and corrective vascular and foot surgery when necessary. Basic interventions can reduce the incidence of foot ulcers by more than 50%.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 1801 Inwood Road, Dallas, TX 75390-9132, USA. Larry.Lavery@utsouthwestern.edu
authors.forename: Lawrence A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Lavery
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: La Fontaine
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D017719:Diabetic Foot / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000379:methods*; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods; D012775:Shoes
keywords: Diabetes; Infection; Prevention; Ulcer