Diabetic foot infections: recent literature and cornerstones of management

Abstract

Purpose of review: Diabetes mellitus has reached pandemic levels and will continue to increase worldwide. Physicians and surgeons should know to manage one of its most prevalent complications, the diabetic foot infection (DFI), in a scientifically based and resource-sparing way. We performed a nonsystematic review of recent scientific literature to provide guidance on management of DFIs.

Recent findings: Studies in the past couple of years provide data on which recommendations for diagnosing and treating DFI are based, especially with validated guidelines and reviews of the microbiology and selected aspects of the complex DFI problem. Recent literature provides approaches to prevention and studies support more conservative surgical treatment. Unfortunately, there have been virtually no new therapeutic molecules, antibiotic regimens, randomized trials, or surgical techniques introduced in the recent past; we briefly discuss how this may change in the future.

Summary: Recent scientific evidence on DFI strongly supports the value of multidisciplinary and some new care models, guideline-based management, more preventive approaches, and confirms several established therapeutic concepts. In contrast, there has been almost no new substantial information regarding the optimal antibiotic or surgical management in recent literature.