Knowledge and Attitude of Foot Care Among Diabetics in Prevention of Amputation in Saudi Arabia

Alrashed, Mohammed Sulaiman; Al Otaibi, Sufana Amer; Habib, Abdulrahman Mohammed G; Saiys, Khadijah Ali; Alnassar, Hind Ahmed Nassar; Alsahfy, Harith Own; Khan, Afnan Mohammed M; Alsaati, Hesham Faisal; Alzayed, Ahmed Soud Muhammad; Alhussain, Ahmed Sami Ali; Alhaddad, Mohammed Sami Mohammed; Almohammedsaleh, Ali Ameer Hassan; Alhamdi, Abdullah Mohammed Ali; Almalki, Humaidan Hamoud

doi:10.12816/0041697

Knowledge and Attitude of Foot Care Among Diabetics in Prevention of Amputation in Saudi Arabia

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ 1Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of General Surgery

² Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal university, Dammam, Saudi Arabia Department of General Surgery

³ Sulaiman Al Rajhi Colleges, Al Bukayriyah, Saudi Arabia,Department of General Surgery

⁴ Umm al-Qura University, Mecca, Saudi Arabia,Department of General Surgery

⁵ Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal university, Dammam, Saudi Arabia,Department of General Surgery

⁶ University of Science and Technology, Sana’a, Yemen,Department of General Surgery

⁷ Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,Department of General Surgery

⁸ University of Hail, Hail, Saudi Arabia,Department of General Surgery

⁹ King Faisal University, Hofuf, Saudi Arabia,Department of General Surgery

¹⁰ Al Baha University, Al Baha, Saudi Arabia,Department of General Surgery

¹¹ Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia,Department of General Surgery

10.12816/0041697

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a prevalent endocrinal disorder in Saudi Arabia. Diabetic foot ulceration occurs in about one fifth of diabetics, and significantly increase the risk of gangrene and amputation. Early and proper foot care is essential to prevent such deleterious complication. Objectives: the aim of this review is to study the knowledge and attitude about foot care among diabetics in Saudi Arabia and its impact on prevention of amputation. Methods: To achieve this aim, online database was searched for articles reporting knowledge and/or attitude of Saudi patients about foot care. Results yielded from this search were quickly inspected, the titles and abstract were quickly read to select related studies. Results: Up to one fifth of diabetic patients had poor knowledge about their foot care, and in spite of regular checkups, they lacked awareness of signs and symptoms of diabetic foot infection. However, when educational programs were implemented, complications rate has significantly declined. Discussion: Previous literature studies indicated that Saudi diabetic patients had moderate to poor knowledge about their illness in general. Most of them are not adequately educated about the complications of their illness, and how to deal with them. However, when engaged in systematic educational programs, they were highly responsive and compliant and their new adopted attitude and knowledge about the illness decreased their amputation as well as other complications rate.

Keywords