Factors Affecting Vascular Clogging, Wound Status and Bacterial Culture in Diabetic Foot Ulcers

Background: We assumed that vascular clogging, wound status, and bacterial culture tests are significant characteristics in developing a treatment plan for diabetic patients with foot ulcers. The goal of our study was to find out the poten-tial factors affecting vascular clogging, wound status, and bacterial culture tests in diabetic patients with foot ulcers. Methods: The medical records of diabetic patients with foot ulcers presenting at our institution between January 2016 and December 2017 were reviewed. A total of 58 diabetic patients with foot ulcers were included. Patient baseline characteristics including co-morbidities, as well as foot and ulcer characteristics, were analyzed. Results: By using the univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression analysis, we have found significant factors affecting vascular clogging, wound status and bacterial culture test. Age, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and glycosyl-ated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were significant factors influencing vascular status. Age, dialysis, GFR, white blood cell (WBC), and osteomyelitis were significant factors influencing wound status. Also, sex (male), dialysis and high WBC af-fect the possibility of Gram-negative aerobic bacterial infection more so than other bacterial infection. Conclusion: This study has confirmed significant factors affecting vascular status, wound status, and bacterial culture tests, including co-morbidities, as well as foot and ulcer characteristics at baseline. Physicians should consider these factors in developing treatment plans or predicting outcomes of diabetic foot ulcers.