On diabetic foot, wound healing, amputation prevention, and the merger of consumer tech with medical devices
An email from Ben Lipsky brings new biomarker data — IL-17, IL-12p70, HMGB1, IL-8, CRP — that may be the strongest case yet for splitting "moderate" and "severe" diabetic foot infections in the IDSA and WIfI classification.
Senneville and Lipsky return with a measured rejoinder in Clinical Infectious Diseases (April 2026), arguing that the Lagrand trial shows the absence of evidence of superiority — not definitive equivalence — between ulcer-bed and bone biopsy for guiding antibiotic therapy in diabetic foot osteomyelitis.
A new single-center study from the Netherlands quantifies the devastating outcomes of the diabetic foot attack: only 48.5% wound closure, 46% major amputation by 12 months, 26% one-year mortality, and 12-month amputation-free survival of just 39.7%. Time is tissue.
A new nationwide study out of Taiwan adds fresh weight to the growing list of potential benefits offered by GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs)—a class of medications already known for their glycemic control, cardiovascular protection, and weight loss benefits. This time, the focus is on something more insidious: infections that land people in the hospital. In... Continue Reading →
Inspired by much recent discussion as well as a blog post from 13 years ago, here is a manuscript just published. After further discussion with Prof. Ben Lipsky, he raises the interesting idea of calling some of these "infection in situ" just like cancer in situ.
Current Infectious Disease Reports Volume 27, Article Number 5 (2025) Published: 02 January 2025 Steering Toward Innovation in Bone and Joint Infection Management The management of bone and joint infections (BJIs) has undergone significant evolution, as highlighted in the latest review by Barbara A. Santevecchi, Kayihura Manigaba, and Lindsey M. Childs-Kean. Published in Current Infectious Disease... Continue Reading →
Screenshot A new study by our colleagues, Matthew C. Dickson and Grant H. Skrepnek, provides significant insights into the burden of diabetic foot infections (DFIs) in U.S. emergency departments over a span of 10 years. Their analysis, published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, sheds light on the profound impact DFIs have on hospitalization and... Continue Reading →
https://player.captivate.fm/episode/46e6e398-323e-4acc-b272-a6c43efb1382 Episode 98 of the Febrile podcast 98: StAR: Diabetes-related Foot Infections Episode 98 • 22nd April 2024 • Febrile • Sara Dong Shownotes This StAR episode features the CID State-of-the-Art Review on evaluation and management of diabetes-related foot infections. Our guest stars this episode are: Dr. Meghan Brennan (ID physician at University of Wisconsin) Dr. Marcos Schechter (ID physician... Continue Reading →
Understanding the Link Between Second Metatarsal Length and Transfer Ulcers in Diabetic Foot Infections Diabetic foot infections are a significant concern for individuals with diabetes, leading to complications such as ulcers, and in severe cases, amputations. A recent study conducted by Nicola A. Cavalcanti and colleagues, including our friend and colleague Felix W. A. Waibel... Continue Reading →
Harnessing Probiotics: A Leap Towards Alleviating Diabetic Foot Infections In the battle against diabetic foot infections, a beacon of hope emerges from the heart of Baghdad. A recent manuscript published in the Iraqi Journal of Science, penned by Haneen Majid Abdulkareem AlAsadi and Khalid Jaber Kadhum Luti from the Department of Biotechnology, College of Science,... Continue Reading →
