Report – Diabetic Foot Workshop – Seychelles (Feb 27, 28 – 2009)

A 2 days workshop on diabetic foot care was conducted at

Seychelles on Feb 27, 28 2009. It was attended by over 50 nurses and

10 doctors. Faculty speaker was Dr.Kshitij Shankhdhar from Lucknow,

India. The workshop was organized by IDF (International Diabetes

Federation).

The attendees were benefited through a comprehensive

education program (Diabetic Foot – theory, practical, complications,

“hands on” etc) covering various aspects of diabetic foot care. Starting

with an introduction to diabetic foot, the basics of foot anatomy and

biomechanics was explained. After this, an introduction to the diabetic

foot problem was given along with epidemiological figures, with a

special emphasis on the fact that 85% of diabetic foot amputations are

preventable through a multidisciplinary approach and how diabetic foot

care should be rendered by a team of professionals, with patient being

the most important member of the team.

After introduction, the attendees were explained the pathogenesis of diabetic foot lesions. Hands

on training and practical session included lessons on diabetic foot examination, neuro-vascular

investigations, ideal diabetic footwear and other clinical aspects of diabetic foot care. Towards the end, 3

lectures were dedicated to management of diabetic foot lesions. At the end, a revision lecture focused on

the dos’ and don’ts’ of diabetic foot care.

The workshop ended on a positive note and the message was clear that – most of the diabetic

foot lesions are preventable. Those which do happen should heal within a time limit. If a lesion is not

healing, either the patient is not following the instructions or there is any fundamental error in doctor’s

management planning (for example – neglect of offloading in a patient with plantar foot lesion).

Dr.Kshitij Shankhdhar MBBS, Dip.Diab.,FAPWCA, FICN

Diabetologist and Incharge, Lucknow Diabetic Foot Care Clinic & Research Centre,

L.K.Diabetes Centre, Lucknow 226016, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Email: consultantdiabetologist@gmail.com