Bacteriology of diabetic foot infections

potentially disastrous complication that can progress rapidly to irreversible septic gangrene necessitating amputation of the foot. The choice of optimal antibiotic therapy depends on an accurate assessment of sepsis severity, reliable microbiologic data, and consideration of host factors such as renal and vascular impairment.1 Neuropathic and vascular changes in patients with diabetes mellitus put them at risk for developing foot wounds after minor trauma or after pressure has caused a breakdown in the integrity of the skin.2,3 All diabetic foot ulcers are contaminated with a variety of organisms, but antibiotic treatment is usually unnecessary. When signs of a clinical infection are present and bone is D Bacteriology of diabetic foot infections