Sankaran Nair Kailasanadhan, Sherbin Joe Mathews
BACKGROUND India, with a population greater than 1.1 billion, has the dubious distinction of having a larger number of people with diabetes than any other country in the world. It was estimated in the year. 2000 that there are 32 million diabetes patients. Diabetic foot ulcers will complicate the disease in more than 15% of these people during their life time. Foot ulcers precede more than 80% of non-traumatic lower limb amputation. Individuals with diabetes had a tenfold higher overall amputation prevalence than did people without diabetes, 2.8% versus 0.29%. MATERIALS AND METHODS A Cross sectional study was done in the department of general surgery, Government Medical College Kottayam and Diabetic Clinic, Kottayam Medical College, from April 1, 2013 to October 1, 2013. RESULTS Out of 150 patients studied 83 were males and 67 were females and 95 patients (63.3%) had POVD Statically significant association was found between POVD and age, history of hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, smoking, alcoholism, duration of diabetes mellitus and family history of hypertension/diabetes and hyperlipidaemia. Sensitivity and specificity of Pulse Oximetry in diagnosing POVD is 80% and 92.7% respectively. Sensitivity and specificity of ABPI in diagnosing POVD is 77.9% and 89.1% respectively. CONCLUSION Pulse Oximetry is an accurate and efficient screening tool for POVD in patients with diabetes mellitus. It can be incorporated to regular outpatient visits of Diabetes patients for early detection of POVD.
