Advance technology at PGI to prevent diabetic foot
Arun Sharma
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, November 19
The PGI has set up advance technology to save diabetes patients from the problem of diabetic foot. Three machines, namely vibrotherm, vascular Doppler and pedoscan, installed at its laboratory help in diagnosing patients prone to the risk of diabetic foot as early as five years.
In North India, no other public sector hospital, barring the PGI, has the facility. The Department of Endocrinology provides these diagnosis tests.
Dr Ashu Rastogi, Assistant Professor in the department, said annually, 40,000 diabetics lose their limbs in India. Worldwide, a limb is amputated every 8 second because of diabetic foot and its complications.
During the last two years, nearly 675 patients with ulcer in foot have reported at the PGI.
“In order to save such patients from amputation in future, the technology will help in a big way,” added Dr Rastogi.
The Assistant Professor said many times, diabetes patient starts feeling numbness in foot and loses the sensitivity even if the foot was placed on very hot or cold surface. The condition is known as diabetic neuropathy.
Vibrotherm, a machine installed at the PGI, will help in diagnosing patients who are at the risk of such situation in future.
The second reason for the diabetic foot is foot attack. The blood supply to feet of such patients is found obstructed and they develop gangrene. To diagnose patients facing such risk, the PGI has installed vascular Doppler. Using this diagnostic test, doctor comes to know five years in advance about the patient facing the risk and takes remedial measures to prevent it, said Dr Rastogi.
Many times, the pressure areas in the foot of diabetic patients are changed and wounds develop on such pressure points. The pedoscan machine tells that the patient was prone to such risk and he is advised specially designed footwear to avoid the problem, he said.
The facilities are provided free of cost at the PGI, added the endocrinologist.
