Any infection involving the foot in a person with diabetes originating in a chronic or acute injury to the soft tissues of the foot, with evidence of pre-existing neuropathy and ischemia.
Diabetic foot is a quiet dread of disability because :
A diabetic foot ulcer acts as a portal for systemic infections such as cellulitis, infected foot ulcers, and osteomyelitis. These are especially dangerous to patients with diabetes, whose impaired immunity increases their risk for local and systemic infection. Therefore, debridement and antibiotic therapy should be initiated as soon as possible. Blood sugar should also be monitored closely and controlled, because hyperglycemia may increase the virulence of infectious microorganisms.