Five-year outcomes of patients attending a diabetic foot clinic in a tertiary referral centre.

Background: Diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) are associated with an increased risk of lower limb amputation and death. Reported mortality rates for patients with DFU are as high as 50% after 5 years.

Aims: The aim of this retrospective study was to examine the 5-year clinical outcomes of patients with high-risk diabetic foot disease attending a specialist foot clinic in Beaumont Hospital between 2007 and 2010.

Methods: Clinical information was obtained from the CELLMA electronic patient record and laboratory results were extracted from the Beaumont Hospital information system.

Results: In total, data from 98 patients, who attended the foot clinic over the 4-year period, was collected. The 5-year mortality rate was 13.3% with an amputation rate of 28.6%. A significant proportion of patients (33.7%) had recurrent/new DFU after 5 years of follow-up. In this cohort, there was no association between poor glycaemic control, presence of co-existent cardiovascular disease or renal failure, and increased mortality or amputation.

Conclusions: Diabetic foot disease is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in clinical practice. It remains to be seen whether implementation of the national model of foot care in 2011 will improve outcomes for patients with high-risk diabetic foot disease.