Annual Foot Exams are Associated with Reduced Incident Amputation among Older Veterans with Diabetes.

We conducted a secondary data analysis to evaluate the association between annual foot exams and incident lower extremity amputations (LEA) among older veterans with diabetes during FY2007-FY2014. Older Veterans with at least one primary care provider visit each year (N = 664,162) and at least one foot exam each year (N = 72,892) and the overlap were identified from the 5 years prior to the study period of interest (FY2002-FY2006 (N = 71,122)). After excluding incident LEA related to cancer and trauma, 71,018 veterans (mean age +/- SD, % male) were included in the final cohort, which was followed from FY2007-FY2014 to evaluate the influence of subsequent annual foot exams and incident LEA.

Palliative care aspects of wound healing in complex patients: a case report.

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Long-term metformin treatment and risk of peripheral neuropathy in older Veterans.

Aim: Our objective was to assess whether increased duration of metformin therapy is associated with incident peripheral neuropathy (PN) in older Veterans with diabetes.

Methods: Using national Veterans Affairs registry data from 2002 to 2015, we examined Veterans (50 + years) with diabetes. Long-term metformin therapy was defined as prescription ≥ 500 mg/day, filled for ≥ 6 consecutive months.

Evidence supporting wound care end points relevant to clinical practice and patients' lives. Part 2. Literature survey.

Patients with wounds bear significant clinical, personal, and economic burdens yet complete wound healing is the only United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognized primary clinical trial end point. The overall goal of this project is to work with FDA to expand the list of acceptable primary end points, recognizing that new and innovative treatments, devices, and drugs may not have complete healing as the focus. Part 1 of the project surveyed 628 wound care experts who identified and content-validated 15 end points most relevant to clinical practice and benefitting patients' lives as primary outcomes in clinical trials.

Treatment of a High-Risk Diabetic Patient with Peripheral Vascular Disease and Osteomyelitis.

We report a case of calcaneal osteomyelitis that was surgically resected from a patient with diabetes and peripheral vascular disease. A 91-year-old male with history of type 2 diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, balloon angioplasty, and recent (2 months ago) stent of the superficial femoral artery presented to the emergency department with a left heel wound infection probed to bone. The patient reported having been on intravenous Zosyn for several months via an outside infectious disease provider for clinical suspicion of osteomyelitis, but noted no improvement.