Diabetic patients in the UAE must exercise caution in managing wounds to avoid complications

Dubai, UAE: The biggest challenge in wound management today is dealing with disease related wounds, especially ones that are difficult to heal and could easily become chronic. Conditions such as lack of circulation and nerve damage brought about by diabetes, which is highly prevalent in the UAE, leaves patients with a lack of sensory perception in the feet. This leads to horrible ulcers in the feet that may end up in loss of limb.

Emilio Galea, Head of Nursing Education, Al Mafraq Hospital, Abu Dhabi, UAE, spoke about the significance of wound care, skin integrity and wound management in the UAE at the Wound Care Conference during the second day of the Patient Safety Middle East Exhibition & Conferences at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre. The event concludes tomorrow.

“In 2013, six countries from the Middle East and North Africa were among the world’s 10 highest for prevalence of diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance. By 2020, 32% of the adult UAE population may have diabetes or pre-diabetes which could bring about conditions that cause ulcers which need constant care and attention or they will lead to loss of the limb, mostly the lower extremities.”

According to the International Diabetes Federation, in 2013, every 20 seconds, somewhere in the world, a lower limb is lost due to diabetes.  Mr Galea highlights that the most important advice one can give to diabetics is to inspect their feet daily and visit a healthcare professional at least once a year, and never to ignore any trauma to the lower limb, however small they think it is.

“It is also important to pay attention to the geriatric population who is also at risk to healthcare related wounds. This is mainly due to the fragile skin in older people, they can present with anything from a minor skin peel to devastating wounds such as pressure ulcers (bed sores) when they are bed bound,” explains Mr Galea.

Pressure ulcers are another major cause of concern worldwide. Development of pressure ulcers has been associated with a 4.5-times greater risk of death and, in the US alone, there is an estimated 1 million people affected each year, leading to an annual cost of approximately $US1.6 billion.

Experts suggest that successful treatment of difficult wounds requires assessment of the entire patient and not just the wound. It is important to find out if the patient suffers from any conditions that could hinder the proper healing of the wound and these must be considered prior to treatment as they have a direct connection to the degree at which the wound heals or worsens.