Diabetic foot ulcer wound fluid: the effects of pH on DFU bacteria and infection

Abstract

Background Foot ulceration is one of the most significant complications of diabetes, and will affect 15-20% of people with diabetes at some point in their lives. Such ulcers frequently become infected with very serious sequelae which can often lead to amputation making diabetes the most common cause of lower extremity amputations. Infections cause increased morbidity (and/or mortality) which means that they represent significant clinical events, requiring immediate attention in relation to local and systemic complications thus requiring well-coordinated management. Unfortunately diabetic foot infections (DFI) frequently fail to display overt signs and symptoms of infection including purulence, erythema, pain, tenderness, warmth and induration. This makes it difficult for clinicians to detect infection, and to make timely interventions to limit the highly undesirable consequences of DFIs. Alternative means of rapidly diagnosing infection are urgently required.