Diabetic ulcers are the most common foot injuries leading to amputation, and foot complications are the most frequent cause of hospitalization in patients with diabetes. Because many patients with diabetes also have high blood pressure or high cholesterol, they may have poor circulation in their feet, which keeps ulcers from healing and increases the risk of infection.

The primary goal of treatment for diabetic foot ulcers is to close the wound. In addition to rest, elevation of the affected foot, and relief of pressure, advanced moist wound therapy (AMWT) involving special dressings that maintain a warm, moist environment for healing is one method of treating of diabetic foot ulcers. In the April issue of Diabetes Care, scientists reported that another method, called negative pressure wound therapy, appears to be as safe and more effective that AMWT for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers.

Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) uses a vacuum system to deliver sub-atmospheric pressure to a wound site to remove fluids and promote healing. In this study, 342 diabetic foot ulcer patients with an average age of 58 years were randomized to receive either AMWT or NPWT. Significantly more patients in the NPWT treatment group achieved complete ulcer closure than in the AMWT group (43.2% versus 28.9%). NPWT patients were also less likely to undergo amputation.

Although the researchers noted that there was no significant difference in treatment-related complications, such as infection, between the two groups, they did not comment on the relative costs associated with each therapy.