Diabetic foot ulcers in the Hong Kong Chinese population: retrospective study.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To assess the predictive power of various parameters on the final outcome of ulcerated diabetic feet among the Hong Kong Chinese population. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Regional public hospital, Hong Kong. PATIENTS: Medical records of 340 diabetic patients with foot ulcers (535) who were referred to the Diabetic Foot Clinic between July 1995 and June 2000 were reviewed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Demographic and clinical data, including assessment of the foot and blood parameters. RESULTS: Increasing age, wound depth, the presence of ischaemia, a low albumin level, and the lack of simultaneous ulceration were determined by stepwise logistic regression analysis to be the most significant independent predictors of an unfavourable outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Major amputation is more likely to occur in elderly patients, with progressive wound depth, and in the presence of ischaemia. A low albumin level was also noted to be an independent predictor of major amputation in the population studied.