Diabetic Foot Ulcer

Body Systems › Integumentary System › Diabetic Foot Ulcer
Skin/Wounds Clinical reference

Diabetic Foot Ulcer

Diabetic foot ulcers affect 15-25% of people with diabetes. Wagner classification guides management. Neuropathy (most common), ischemia, and infection are the key factors. Leading cause of non-traumatic amputation.

DFU diabetic foot ulcer neuropathic ulcer diabetic foot Charcot foot
Terms
1
ICD-10
2
Evidence
5
Trials
1
Latest evidence

Latest evidence

Core official overview

What this condition is

What is diabetes?Diabetes is a disease in which your blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels are too high. Glucose comes from foods you eat. The cells of your body need glucose for energy. A hormone called insulin helps the glucose get into your cells.With type 1 diabetes, your body doesn't make insulin. With type 2 diabetes, your body doesn't make or use insulin well. Without enough insulin, glucose can't get into yo…

Open official source →
Condition family & coding

Terms and documentation support

Condition matches & synonyms

Terms

Related diagnostic names, synonyms, and documentation wording that may appear in clinical references and charting.

Foot ulcer - diabetic

ICD-10 quick links

Codes

For study support, terminology recognition, and documentation language.

E13.621 Other specified diabetes mellitus with foot ulcer L97.509 Non-pressure chronic ulcer of other part of unspecified foot with unspecified severity
Common tests

Tests performed

ABI (vascular assessment) Monofilament test (neuropathy) Wound culture Probe-to-bone test (osteomyelitis — specific) X-ray foot MRI foot (osteomyelitis gold standard) HbA1c CBC
Common medications

Recognize the drug and the class

Offloading (total contact cast — gold standard) Wound debridement (sharp — weekly) Infection: Amoxicillin-clavulanate (mild), Piperacillin-Tazobactam + Vancomycin (severe) NPWT (negative pressure wound therapy) Hyperbaric oxygen (adjunct) Revascularization (ischemic DFU)
Related nursing diagnoses

NANDA diagnoses & care plans

Use these direct links to open nursing diagnoses and care-plan support related to Diabetic Foot Ulcer.

Impaired Tissue Integrity Risk for Infection Impaired Physical Mobility Deficient Knowledge Peripheral Neurovascular Dysfunction
Recruiting clinical trials

Additional official research

RECRUITING N/A

A Real-World Registry of Chronic Wounds and Ulcers

NCT02280733

WOUNDJOURNEY is a longitudinal, real-world, observational registry designed to capture the full clinical course and patient journey associated with chronic wounds and ulcers. Data are collected during routine care from over 1,400 clinician…

Official education links

Plain-language study support

Useful for plain-language reinforcement and quick review.

Diabetic Foot What is diabetes?Diabetes is a disease in which your blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels are too high. Glucose comes from foods you eat. The cells of your body need glucose for energy. A hormone called insulin helps the glucose get into your cells.With type 1 diabetes, your body doesn't make insulin. With type 2 diabetes, your body doesn't make or use insulin well. Without enough insulin, glucose can't get into yo… Foot Injuries and Disorders Each of your feet has 26 bones, 33 joints, and more than 100 tendons, muscles, and ligaments. No wonder a lot of things can go wrong. Here are a few common problems:Bunions - hard, painful bumps on the big toe jointCorns and calluses - thickened skin from friction or pressure Plantar warts - warts on the soles of your feet Fallen arches - also called flat feet Ill-fitting shoes often cause these problems. Aging and…