Journal of wound care
Gulf regional guidelines for managing diabetic foot ulcers: assessment, treatment and prevention of recurrence
By Janahi N, Al Mahrizi AS, Ben Nakhi M and 12 others.
Abstract
Background
Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) represent a major and growing complication of diabetes in the Gulf and wider Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, which has the world's highest diabetes prevalence at approximately 17.6% of adults. DFUs carry a high burden of morbidity, mortality and economic cost, and their complex multifactorial aetiology, encompassing peripheral neuropathy, ischaemia, deformity and infection, is compounded by region-specific cultural, climatic and healthcare factors.
Aims
To develop evidence-based, Gulf-specific clinical guidelines on the assessment, management and prevention of recurrence of DFUs, applicable across varying levels of healthcare infrastructure and sensitive to the cultural context of the Gulf region.
Method
An international panel of diabetes and wound care experts from the Gulf region and beyond reviewed current international evidence and guidelines and applied it to Gulf-specific practice contexts. Consensus-based recommendations were formulated across the DFU care pathway through a structured expert panel process.