Treatment
People with neuropathy or evidence of
increased plantar pressure (e.g., erythema,
warmth, callus, or measured
pressure) may be adequately managed
with well-fitted walking shoes or athletic
shoes that cushion the feet and redistribute
pressure. Calluses can be debrided
with a scalpel by a foot care
specialist or other health professional
with experience and training in foot
care. People with bony deformities (e.g.,
hammertoes, prominent metatarsal
heads, bunions) may need extra wide
or deep shoes. People with extreme
bony deformities (e.g., Charcot foot)
who cannot be accommodated withcommercial therapeutic footwear may
need custom-molded shoes.
Most diabetic foot infections are polymicrobial,
with aerobic gram-positive
cocci (GPC). Staphylococci are the most
common causative organisms. Wounds
without evidence of soft-tissue or bone
infection do not require antibiotic therapy.
Empiric antibiotic therapy can be
narrowly targeted at GPC in many
acutely infected patients, but those at
risk for infection with antibiotic-resistant
organisms or with chronic, previously
treated, or severe infections require
broader-spectrum regimens and should
be referred to specialized care centers
(82). Foot ulcers and wound care may
require care by a podiatrist, orthopedic
or vascular surgeon, or rehabilitation
specialist experienced in the management
of individuals with diabetes.
Guidelines for treatment of diabetic
foot ulcers have recently been updated
(82).