Tag Archives: Amputation

Straight, No Chaser: The Skin Problems of Diabetics, Part 1

Endocrine/Metabolic, Diet and Nutrition, Infectious Disease, Skin/Dermatology, , , , , ,

diabetes-awareness

If you are diabetic or caring for a diabetic, one of the things you’ve likely noticed is that the skin doesn’t always seem to look, feel or perform normally. Perhaps the first thing I’d want you to know as a means of understanding what’s going on is this combination of facts: the skin is the body’s largest organ and diabetics have issues with blood flow. Given all the area needing blood flow, it stands to reason that diabetics invariably would have skin problems.

diabetes_foot_problems_s12_ulcers

On a practical level, appreciate that infections are the most common cause of death in diabetics. Even a small cut or scratch in this population can lead to loss of a limb if unrecognized and left untreated. Unfortunately, amputations among diabetics  happens all too often. Is it preventable? With 100% confidence, yes. You can sufficiently reduce your risk of this ever happening. That said, there’s a reality that approximately 1/3 of all diabetes will have some type of skin problem, ranging from eczema and other localized itching problems to infections, abscesses, and gangrene.

diabetic toe amputation

By now you are likely wondering two things: How does this happen, and how can I prevent/help this?
First, diabetics suffer from frequent and excessive urination from those high blood glucose levels. This can lead to dehydration. Dehydrated skin is dry, red and has a waxy appearance. It becomes cracked, itchy, easily injured, harder to heal and easier to infect. Remember how diabetics have problems with poor blood circulation? That reduces the bodies’ ability to fight infections. So the first course of action for diabetics (beyond understanding the risks) is to be diligent in preventing infection.

diabetic-amputation

I will dedicate a separate post to give you all the knowledge you need to prevent diabetic cuts, scratches and skin infections or to have them treated. In the meantime, the same rules apply to diabetics as they do to everyone else: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of care. Diet and exercise can stave off the day when you’re fighting for your life because of a diabetic foot ulcer.
Feel free to ask your SMA expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic.
Order your copy of Dr. Sterling’s new book Behind The Curtain: A Peek at Life from within the ER at jeffreysterlingbooks.com, iTunes, Amazon, Barnes and Nobles and wherever books are sold.
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Copyright © 2016 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress

Straight, No Chaser: The Skin Problems of Diabetics, Part 1

General Health and Wellness, , , , ,

diabetes-awareness

If you are diabetic or caring for a diabetic, one of the things you’ve likely noticed is that the skin doesn’t always seem to look, feel or perform normally. Perhaps the first thing I’d want you to know as a means of understanding what’s going on is this combination of facts: the skin is the body’s largest organ and diabetics have issues with blood flow. Given all the area needing blood flow, it stands to reason that diabetics invariably would have skin problems.

diabetes_foot_problems_s12_ulcers

On a practical level, appreciate that infections are the most common cause of death in diabetics. Even a small cut or scratch in this population can lead to loss of a limb if unrecognized and left untreated. Unfortunately, amputations among diabetics  happens all too often. Is it preventable? With 100% confidence, yes. You can sufficiently reduce your risk of this ever happening. That said, there’s a reality that approximately 1/3 of all diabetes will have some type of skin problem, ranging from eczema and other localized itching problems to infections, abscesses, and gangrene.

diabetic toe amputation

By now you are likely wondering two things: How does this happen, and how can I prevent/help this?
First, diabetics suffer from frequent and excessive urination from those high blood glucose levels. This can lead to dehydration. Dehydrated skin is dry, red and has a waxy appearance. It becomes cracked, itchy, easily injured, harder to heal and easier to infect. Remember how diabetics have problems with poor blood circulation? That reduces the bodies’ ability to fight infections. So the first course of action for diabetics (beyond understanding the risks) is to be diligent in preventing infection.

diabetic-amputation

I will dedicate a separate post to give you all the knowledge you need to prevent diabetic cuts, scratches and skin infections or to have them treated. In the meantime, the same rules apply to diabetics as they do to everyone else: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of care. Diet and exercise can stave off the day when you’re fighting for your life because of a diabetic foot ulcer.
Click here for an explanation of basic facts about diabetes.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress. We are also on Facebook at SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.

Straight, No Chaser: Trauma Quick (Finger)Tips – Give Me the Finger!

Orthopedics/Bones, Trauma, , , , , , ,

amputations

What you’re seeing is not a five-finger salute gone bad. It’s an all too often occurrence: amputated fingers. Believe it or not, 90% of finger reattachments are successful, although many end up with decreased motion and sensation. Today’s tips are to tell you how to handle the time between when the amputation occurs and when you get to the hospital. It’s actually pretty important to be meticulous in how you handle the finger prior to reattachment.

  • Wrap the amputated part of the finger in moist, clean gauze. Moist—not wet, not dripping.
  • The gauze should be placed in a sealed plastic bag or sterile container.
  • Take the plastic bag and place in another sealed plastic bag or container, with the second containing ice or cold water. The finger never should touch the ice!

It’s actually more important to support the person than the finger. We can survive without a finger. Fingers are worthless without a live person. To that end, calling an ambulance should be the very first thing you do, and don’t forget to place a clean dressing or the cleanest towel you can over the bleeding part of the hand.

You should be aware that not all amputations are reattached, particularly when a poor outcome is likely. However, don’t make any assumptions. Make the effort to give yourself the best possible chance for the best possible outcome.

Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) will offer beginning November 1. Until then enjoy some our favorite posts and frequently asked questions as well as a daily note explaining the benefits of SMA membership. Please share our page with your Friends on WordPress, and we can be found on Facebook at SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.

Copyright © 2013 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress

Straight, No Chaser: Trauma Quick (Finger)Tips – Give Me the Finger!

Orthopedics/Bones, Trauma, Medical Treatment, , , , , , ,

amputations
What you’re seeing is not a five-finger salute gone bad. It’s an all too often occurrence: amputated fingers. Believe it or not, 90% of reattached fingers are done so successfully, although many end up with decreased motion and sensation. Today’s tips are to tell you how to handle the time between when the amputation occurs and when you get to the hospital. It’s actually pretty important to be meticulous in how you handle the finger prior to reattachment.

  • Wrap the amputated part of the finger in moist, clean gauze. Moist – not wet, not dripping.
  • The gauze should be placed in a sealed plastic bag or sterile container.
  • Take the plastic bag and place in another sealed plastic bag or container, with the second containing ice or cold water. The finger never should touch the ice!

It’s actually more important to support the person than the finger. We can survive without a finger. Fingers are worthless without a live person. To that end, calling an ambulance should be the very first thing you do, and don’t forget to place a clean dressing or the cleanest towel you can over the bleeding part of the hand.
You should be aware that not all amputations are reattached, particularly when a poor outcome is likely. However, don’t make any assumptions, and make the effort to give yourself the best possible chance for the best possible outcome.