In recognition of Diabetes Awareness Month in November, Holy Cross Health is partnering with Healogics®, the nation’s leading provider of advanced wound care to educate the local community about the importance of awareness, early intervention and specialized care for diabetes-related chronic wounds, such as diabetic foot ulcers.
Timely detection of any wound and proper education can reduce the risk of amputation, improve quality of life, enable better treatment options when wounds are discovered, and avoid complications, such as infections, amputations and decreased quality of life.
“Through advocacy, awareness and educational initiatives, we can continue to bring the necessary attention to reduce the impact of diabetes,” Dr. Carlos Guerra, an infectious disease specialist with Holy Cross Health. “This month is a great time to learn the symptoms of type 1 diabetes which can be life-saving. If you’re at risk for type 2, education can also help prevent or delay this challenging disease.”
More than 30 million people in the U.S., nearly 10% of the population, have diabetes, including 7.2 million who are unaware they are living with the disease. The percentage of adults with diabetes increases with age, reaching 25.2% among those ages 65 years or older. In addition to age, risk factors for diabetes include diet, activity level, obesity and heredity. High blood sugar levels, poor circulation, immune system issues, nerve damage and infection may contribute to a diabetic foot ulcer.
With America’s diabetic population expected to nearly double by 2030, it is important that communities understand the risks and know the facts associated with diabetic foot ulcers. Approximately 25% of those living with diabetes will develop a foot ulcer, including the two million who are suffering from one right now. As many as 40% of those with a healed diabetic foot ulcer will develop a new ulcer within a year. An estimated 14 to 24% of people with foot ulcers will experience an amputation.
Diabetes is the leading cause of limb loss, accounting for 65,000 amputations annually. Of the patients who have undergone one amputation, 55 percent will require amputation on the second leg. An amputation results in decreased quality of life, increased medical costs and a significantly higher risk of mortality. Within two to three years of an amputation, nearly 50% of patients will die.
Early detection and intervention can help mitigate the possibility of limb loss. The Holy Cross Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Program recommends the following to help prevent diabetic foot ulcers:
- stop smoking immediately;
- have a healthcare provider do a comprehensive foot examination at each visit (at least four times a year);
- do a daily self-inspection of the feet, or have a family member perform the inspection;
- make sure regular care of the feet includes cleaning toenails and taking care of corns and calluses;
- choose supportive, proper footwear (shoes and socks); and
- take steps to improve circulation such as eating healthier and exercising on a regular basis.
Proper wound care is imperative to healing diabetic foot ulcers. Holy Cross Health offers a number of leading-edge treatments including total contact casting, negative pressure wound therapy and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. These specialized therapies can aid in wound closure, new tissue growth, wound tissue regeneration and much more.
To schedule an appointment for wound care at Holy Cross Health, please call 954-202-4877 or visit www.holy-cross.com/
About Holy Cross Health
A member of Trinity Health, Fort Lauderdale-based Holy Cross Hospital, dba Holy Cross Health, is a full-service, non-profit, Catholic, teaching hospital operating in the spirit of the Sisters of Mercy. Holy Cross has been named one of the top 10 hospitals in the Miami metro area and among the top 30 in the state in U.S. News and World Report's 2020-2021 Best Hospital rankings. Through strategic collaborations and a commitment to being a person-centered, transforming, healing presence, the 557-bed hospital offers progressive inpatient, outpatient and community outreach services and clinical research trials to serve as our community’s trusted health partner for life. Holy Cross Health also encompasses Holy Cross HealthPlex outpatient facility, urgent care centers and more than 50 Holy Cross Medical Group physician practices. To learn more about Holy Cross Health, visit holy-cross.com. Connect @holycrossfl.
About Healogics
Headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., Healogics is the nation’s wound healing expert. Last year over 330,000 patients received advanced wound care through a nationwide network of nearly 700 Wound Care Centers®. The Healogics team is made up of almost 3,000 employees, 4,000 affiliated physicians and a Healogics Specialty Physician practice group of nearly 300. In addition to the company’s network of outpatient Centers, Healogics partners with over 300 skilled nursing facilities to care for patients with chronic wounds and provides inpatient consults at more than 80 partner hospitals. As the industry leader, Healogics has the largest repository of chronic wound-specific patient data in the country. The Healogics Wound Science Initiative, an effort launched in 2017 to provide peer-reviewed research, recognizes the value and relevance of big data and advanced analytics to drive continuous, collaborative learning towards a better understanding of how to efficiently utilize healthcare resources for patients with wounds. For additional information, please visit Healogics.com.
