FREQUENCY OF PERIPHERAL ARTERIAL DISEASE AMONG PATIENTS WITH DIABETES MELLITUS FOOT SYNDROME IN A TERTIARY HOSPITAL IN LAGOS, NIGERIA.

Abstract

Diabetes Mellitus Foot Syndrome (DMFS) occurs against a background infection. neuropathy and
peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Clinical assessment often under diagnoses PAD. However. the
use of a hand held Doppler to calculate the ankle brachial index (AS!) is an inexpensive, non-
invasive and quantitative method of determining the presence of PAD. A retrospective analysis of
patients with DMFS who had PAD assessment with a hand held Doppler was done. Data retrieved
from the doppler report included age, gender, presence of hypertension, smoking status and ankle
brachial index (AS!). PAD was defined as AS! of < 0. 9 or > 1.3. Data was analyzed using Epi info
version 3.4.3. A P < 0.05 was taken significant. There were 73 patients with DMFS, 28 (38.4%)
females and 45 (61.6%) males. Mean (SD) age was 62.4 (/1.1) years. Hypertension was present
in 30 (41.1%) and 8 (11.0%) were smokers. PAD was present ill 39 (53.4%) patients. Of the 39
patients with PAD, /1 (28.2%) had AS1 >1.3. Age, gender, smoking status and history of
hypertension were not associated with PAD (p<0.05). The frequency of PAD among patients with
DMFS was high. Over a quarter had AB! >1.3. Hand held Doppler devices should be made
available, at least in tertiary hospitals in resource poor settings so as to improve management of
DMFS.