It is estimated that by 2030, there will be about 550 million individuals who will be suffering from diabetes all over the world. And almost a quarter of all people inflicted with diabetes will develop a foot ulcer at some point. So, healthcare workers need to have good knowledge about the best practices for Diabetic Foot Ulcer Treatment in Canada and prevention.Â
It is pretty crucial to determine the type of diabetic foot ulcer as that is something that would help determine an effective treatment. The different types of wounds are as follows:
- The case of neuropathic ulcers arises when the nerve damage from diabetic neuropathy causes the individual inflicted with diabetes to not feel the pain from an injury, which often leads to a substantial progression of the ulcer even before the person is even aware of it. The most likely places of injury are foot and toe deformities, calluses, corns, and areas that are repetitive to stress. Footwear isn’t just for hiding these issues, but can also exacerbate the injury in case the shoe is ill-fitting.Â
Diabetic Foot Ulcer Treatment
The first step in Diabetic Foot Ulcer Treatment in Canada is to remove necrotic wound tissue from the wound. Here it becomes pretty crucial that the method of debridement employed does not cause any damage to the nerves, tendons, and blood vessels. There are many people with diabetes who don’t feel the pain from the wound site. So, the health care practitioners simply cannot rely on the patient to let them know when there is an examination of the sensitive areas. The debridement will:
- Reduce pressure on the ulcer
- Allow the examination of the healthy underlying tissue.Â
- Stimulate Wound Healing
- Help in the draining of the wound
- Optimize the wound dressing effectiveness
Preventing Complications
                     The one thing that is paramount to preventing infection is aggressive infection control. They do not make use of simple gauze just for the simple reason that it can damage your skin. On the other hand, foam dressings and alginate provide high absorbency for moderate to heavy exudate.Â
Preventing complications from diabetic foot ulcers can be difficult, but there are available treatments in Canada that can help. Early detection and treatment of diabetic foot ulcers is important to prevent serious complications. There are a variety of available treatments for diabetic foot ulcers, including:
• Wound care: This involves keeping the wound clean and free from infection. Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics or other medications to help heal the wound and prevent infection.
Pressure Offloading:
Pressure on the diabetic foot ulcer hinders the process of healing. That is why a device that can redistribute pressure more evenly throughout the lower leg is considered one key aspect of Diabetic Foot Ulcer Treatment in Canada. This can be properly executed with the help of a removable offloading device or with a non-removable total contact cast. But what is unfortunate here is that many patients with removable devices only wear them 30% of the day, and that can significantly affect the outcomes of the treatment.Â
There are a number of ways to offload pressure from a diabetic foot ulcer. One common method is to use a total contact cast. This type of cast helps to distribute weight evenly over the foot, which can help to promote healing. Another option is to use a removable walker boot. This boot can be removed for bathing or during periods of rest and helps to protect the foot from further injury.
If an ulcer is particularly large or deep, it may need to be packed with gauze to promote healing. Your doctor will likely recommend that you keep the packing in place for at least 24 hours, and then remove it and clean the wound daily. You may also need to take antibiotics to help prevent infection.
In some cases, surgery may be necessary to treat a diabetic foot ulcer. This could involve removing dead tissue from the wound or amputating part of the foot. Surgery should always be considered as a last resort, and you should discuss all of your options with your doctor before making a decision.
Advanced Therapies for Diabetic Foot Ulcer Treatment
 They can also go for other options, some of which are :
- Making use of cultured human cells to cover the wound.
- Grafts or heterogenetic dressings that have recombinant growth factors
- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Advanced therapies for diabetic foot ulcer treatment are available in Canada. Some of the advanced therapies that are available include:
1. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy – this therapy involves breathing 100% oxygen under high pressure. This helps to increase the amount of oxygen in your blood and promotes healing.
2. negative pressure wound therapy – this therapy uses a suction device to remove excess fluid from the wound and promote healing.
3. growth factor therapy – this therapy uses growth factors to help stimulate new cell growth and promote healing.
4. platelet-rich plasma therapy – this therapy uses your own blood platelets to help promote healing.
5. stem cell therapy – this therapy uses stem cells to help promote healing by regeneration of new tissue.
Final Take:
So, as you can see, there are several options for Diabetic Foot Ulcer Treatment in Canada.Â