Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with GoogleGet your health question answered instantly from our pool of 18000+ doctors from over 80 specialties
How Can An Ulcer On The Foot Be Treated?
I have a 18-month-old foot ulcer, and one doctor said it was a hammertoe that caused the callous, the other doctor 12 months later said it s diabetes, and he just kept shaving away the callous but the hole did not close. i left him after 6 months of nothing working, and he said he gave up on it, what can I use on it to close the ulcer?
Mon, 30 Apr 2018
Hello and Welcome to ‘Ask A Doctor’ service.
I have reviewed your query and here is my advice.
You have Diabetes, and allowing the ulcer to persist can lead to bacterial entry through the ulcer and may lead to serious limb threatening infection. Hence it becomes imperative to heal the ulcer.
Firstly, an x-ray should be taken to rule out bone infection. If so, a small piece of the bone should be sent for bacterial culture and antibiotic sensitivity, and culture-specific antibiotics are taken till complete healing of the ulcer.
Please dress the ulcer daily aseptically, using Metrogel gel or Mupirocin ointment. However the most important factor, the foundation of the management to heal the ulcer is STRICT OFFLOADING of the foot. That is no weight bearing. The callus ulcer occurred due to pressure. Hence please use a Walker, and use the good foot and walk, not at all weight bearing on the affected foot.
Thus the ulcer will heal well, and relatively fast. Once the ulcer has healed, to prevent recurrence, please use footwear with soft, pressure distributing insoles at all times. Materials like Plastazote, Poron, Silicon, EVA are good.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Ajit Kumar Varma
I have reviewed your query and here is my advice.
You have Diabetes, and allowing the ulcer to persist can lead to bacterial entry through the ulcer and may lead to serious limb threatening infection. Hence it becomes imperative to heal the ulcer.
Firstly, an x-ray should be taken to rule out bone infection. If so, a small piece of the bone should be sent for bacterial culture and antibiotic sensitivity, and culture-specific antibiotics are taken till complete healing of the ulcer.
Please dress the ulcer daily aseptically, using Metrogel gel or Mupirocin ointment. However the most important factor, the foundation of the management to heal the ulcer is STRICT OFFLOADING of the foot. That is no weight bearing. The callus ulcer occurred due to pressure. Hence please use a Walker, and use the good foot and walk, not at all weight bearing on the affected foot.
Thus the ulcer will heal well, and relatively fast. Once the ulcer has healed, to prevent recurrence, please use footwear with soft, pressure distributing insoles at all times. Materials like Plastazote, Poron, Silicon, EVA are good.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Ajit Kumar Varma
I find this answer helpful
Disclaimer: These answers are for your information only and not intended to replace your relationship with your treating physician.
This is a short, free answer.
For a more detailed, immediate answer, try our premium service
[Sample answer]
Related questions you may be interested in
Loading Online Doctors....