Debridement is part of the standard of care for diabetic foot ulcers.
Debridement is part of the standard of care for diabetic foot ulcers. There are several methods (sharp/surgical, biological, autolytic, biochemical and osmotic) but not a lot of evidence to support choosing one method over another. New foot ulcer therapies and technology appear regularly, but most are too expensive or difficult to implement in most high-need areas. All of these factors make it very difficult for healthcare professionals to choose the optimal debridement method for their patients.
The following article looks at the various debridement methods from a clinical perspective, outlining the advantages and disadvantages of each in the context of daily practice. Our aim is to give healthcare practitioners some sound data to help them make the best possible treatment decisions wherever they are practising.
We wrote this article primarily for healthcare providers working in remote areas, where 80% of all diabetic foot disease is found. With that in mind, we have tried to use plain language to make the content as broadly useful as possible.