Clinical characteristics and treatment of diabetic patients with superficial partial-thickness burn on feet

Objective To analyze the characteristics and treatment of diabetic patients with superficial partial-thickness burn on feet. Methods Eighty-three patients with superficial partial-thickness burn on 119 feet were hospitalized in our unit from January 2011 to December 2017. The medical records of the patients with 46 men and 37 women, aged 60±11 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into diabetes group and non-diabetes group according to whether they had diabetes or not, with 41 patients (60 burn feet) in diabetes group and 42 patients (59 burn feet) in non-diabetes group. Patients in diabetes group and non-diabetes group were given systemic treatment and wound dressing change. Thirty-seven diabetic patients whose wounds deepened to deep partial-thickness were divided into eschar shaving group and non-eschar shaving group according to patients′ willingness and the treatment, with 14 patients in eschar shaving group and 23 patients in non-eschar shaving group. Patients in eschar shaving group were given eschar shaving operation at early stage, and patients in non-eschar shaving group were given wound dressing change. The length of hospital stay, hospitalization treatment expenses, pulse of arteria dorsal pedis and posterior tibial artery immediately after admission, deepening of wounds on feet during hospital stay, and rates of wound healing on feet of patients in diabetes group and non-diabetes group were observed and calculated. Pulses of arteria dorsal pedis and posterior tibial artery immediately after admission, deepening of wounds on feet during hospital stay, positive rates of bacteria and fungus in wounds on feet, and rates of wound healing on feet of patients in eschar shaving group and non-eschar shaving group were observed and calculated. Data were processed with chi-square test, t test, Fisher′s exact propability method, and Mann-Whitney U test. Results The length of hospital stay of patients in diabetes group was (29±20) d, which was significantly longer than that of patients in non-diabetes group [(19±13) d, t=2.730, P<0.01]. The hospitalization treatment expense of patients in diabetes group was (46 988±41 322) yuan, which was significantly more than that of patients in non-diabetes group [(29 106±24 813) yuan, t=2.396, P<0.05]. The pulses of arteria dorsal pedis and posterior tibial artery of patients in diabetes group were significantly weaker than those of patients in non-diabetes group (Z=3.278, 2.194, P<0.05 or P<0.01). The percentages of wounds on feet of patients in diabetes group deepening to deep partial-thickness burn, full-thickness skin defect with bone and tendon exposure were respectively 88.3% (53/60) and 23.3% (14/60), which were significantly higher than those of patients in non-diabetes group [47.5% (28/59) and 1.7% (1/59), χ²=22.867, 12.644, P<0.01]. Rate of wound healing on feet of patients in diabetes group was 78.3% (47/60), which was significantly lower than 100.0% (59/59) of patients in non-diabetes group ( χ²=14.351, P<0.01). There were respectively 21 and 32 feet in patients of eschar shaving group and non-eschar shaving group. There were no significantly statistical differences in pulses of arteria dorsal pedis and posterior tibial artery of patients between eschar shaving group and non-eschar shaving group (Z=0, 0.453, P>0.05). The percentage of wounds on feet of patients in non-eschar shaving group deepening to full-thickness skin defect with bone and tendon exposure was 43.8% (14/32), which was significantly higher than 0 of patients in eschar shaving group ( χ²=12.486, P<0.01). Positive rates of bacteria and fungus in wounds on feet of patients in eschar shaving group was significantly lower than that of patients in non-eschar shaving group (χ²=4.386, P<0.05 ). Rate of wound healing on feet of patients in non-eschar shaving group was 59.4% (19/32), which was significantly lower than that of patients in eschar shaving group [100.0% (21/21), P<0.01]. Conclusions Diabetes patients with superficial partial-thickness burn wounds on feet has long length of hospital stay, high hospitalization treatment expenses. Wounds of the patients are easy to deepen, with low wound healing rate. Eschar shaving at early stage when the wounds deepened to deep partial-thickness burn is a good way to increase wound healing rate and prevent further deepening of wounds.