Evidence brief
Diabetic Foot Infection: Diagnosis and Management
Clinical diagnosis of infection based on inflammation signs
Wound cultures only if infection present
Probe-to-bone test for osteomyelitis screening
MRI gold standard for osteomyelitis diagnosis
Multidisciplinary approach improves outcomes
IDSA guidelines provide evidence-based framework for diabetic foot infection management, emphasizing clinical assessment, appropriate investigations, and multidisciplinary care.
Know IDSA classification: uninfected, mild, moderate, severe. Probe-to-bone positive = 85% PPV for osteomyelitis. MRI for bone involvement. Antibiotics: cover staph/strep, add gram-negatives and anaerobes if severe. Surgical debridement for deep infection. Discuss vascular assessment.
Level I
Systematic review of RCTs or high-quality RCT