Background: Diabetic foot ulcer is a one of complications of diabetes that imposes a significant burden on the
community. Aim of the study: assess the factors aggravating unhealed wounds among diabetic foot patients. Research
questions: What is the level of patient’s knowledge regarding diabetes and foot ulcer? What is the level of patient’s
foot care practices regarding diabetic foot ulcer? What are the factors that aggravating unhealed wounds among diabetic
foot patients? Setting: the present study conducted at surgical departments at Benha University Hospital,Qalyubia
,Egypt. Subject: the study subject included 90 patients with diabetic foot ulcer. Tools of data collection: four tools
were used in the study (Tool I) Patient interviewing questionnaire, consist of three parts Part 1: Patient’s personal data,
Part 2: Patient’s clinical health status, Part 3: Patient’s knowledge questionnaire. (Tool II) Foot care practice
questionnaire, (Tool III) wound assessment sheet, consist of three parts Part 1: wound characteristics sheet, Part 2:
treatment regimen, Part 3: Assessment Factors aggravating unhealed wounds, (Tool IV) Wagner classification system.
Results shows that 71.7% of the studied patients had unsatisfactory level of knowledge regarding diabetes and diabetic
foot ulcer, 55.4% of the studied patients had satisfactory level of practice regarding diabetic foot ulcer, there was high
level of aggravating factors affecting unhealed wound constituting 14.0% of the studied patients and moderate level
among 54.0% Conclusion: the study finding concluded that there was a statistically significant relation between
aggravating factors of unhealed wound and times of hospital admission due to diabetes Recommendation: Providing
booklet to the patients including basic information about diabetic foot care. |