Diabetic Foot Infections eMedicine Infectious Diseases

Description: The spectrum of foot infections in diabetes ranges from simple superficial cellulitis to chronic osteomyelitis. Infections in patients with diabetes are difficult to treat because these patients have impaired microvascular circulation, which limits the access of phagocytic cells to the infected area and results in a poor concentration of antibiotics in the infected tissues. For this reason, cellulitis is the most easily treatable and reversible form of foot infections in patients with diabetes. Deep skin and soft tissue infections are also usually curable, but they can be life threatening and result in substantial long-term morbidity.
Burke A Cunha, MD 2008