OBJECTIVEThe role of telemedical monitoring in diabetic foot ulcer care is still uncertain. Our aim was to compare telemedical and standard outpatient monitoring in the care of patients with diabetic foot ulcers in a randomized controlled trial.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSOf the 736 screened individuals with diabetic foot ulcers, 401 met the eligibility criteria and were randomized between October 2010 and November 2014. The per-protocol telemedical monitoring consisted of two consultations in the patient's own home and one consultation at the outpatient clinic. Standard practice consisted of three outpatient clinic visits. The three-visit cycle was repeated until study end point. The study end points were defined as complete ulcer healing, amputation, or death.
RESULTSOne hundred ninety-three individuals were randomized to telemedical monitoring and 181 to standard care. Demographics were similar in both groups. A causespecific Cox proportional hazards model showed no difference in individuals monitored through telemedicine regarding wound healing (hazard ratio 1.11 [95% CI 0.87, 1.42], P = 0.42) or amputation (0.87 [0.54, 1.42], P = 0.59). We found a higher mortality incidence in the telemedical monitoring group compared with the standard outpatient monitoring group (8.68 [6.93, 10.88], P = 0.0001).
CONCLUSIONSThe findings of no significant difference regarding amputation and healing between telemedical and standard outpatient monitoring seem promising; however, for telemedical monitoring, a higher mortality throws into question the role of telemedicine in monitoring diabetic foot ulcers. Further studies are needed to investigate effects of telemedicine on mortality and other clinical outcomes and to identify patient subgroups that may have a poorer outcome through telemedical monitoring.Diabetes currently affects .387 million people worldwide, and this number is expected to rise to .592 million individuals worldwide by 2035 (1). In Denmark, 320,545 people suffer from diabetes, and it is estimated that a further 200,000 individuals are undiagnosed; a further 750,000 have impaired glucose tolerance (2). Approximately 7-15% of the population with diabetes will have one or several foot ulcers during a lifetime, and up to 70% of these ulcers will recur during a 5-year period (3). Diabetic foot ulcers lead to ;500 major amputations every year in
The aim of this study was to demonstrate the effect of intra-articular morphine following knee arthroscopy performed in infiltration analgesia. Fifty-two healthy patients were randomized to receive either 1 mg of morphine or placebo. The pain was assessed 2, 4, 8 and 24 h after the procedure by (1) a VAS scale and (2) the amount of acetaminophen consumed. Demographic data in the 2 groups were similar. The pain scores at 8 and 24 h and the acetaminophen consumption after 8 h were lower in the morphine group (P < 0.05). Our results support the hypothesis of peripherally distributed opioid receptors. Stratifying data in therapeutic versus diagnostic arthroscopy indicated additional effect of morphine in patients undergoing therapy (P < 0.1), an aspect supporting the hypothesis of peripherally administered morphine as a potential suppressor of the substance P-mediated cytokine cascade and the peripheral leukocyte activity. Intra-articular morphine (1 mg) after knee arthroscopy offers efficient analgesia lasting more than 24 h. The method is devoid of side effects and deserves wider recognition.
Introduction: Telemedicine can be used for healthcare professionals to assess ulcer healing from digital images at remote settings. Currently telemedical wound monitoring is based on two-dimensional images. During recent years three-dimensional techniques have been developed including laser scanners, stereophotogrammetry and structured light technique. Some of these methods are also able to assess ulcer characteristics. However, few methods have the potential to be used in telemedicine. We have developed a handheld 3D camera that is able to measure ulcer size including volume and to assess ulcer characteristics. A pilot study by Rasmussen et al. (1) investigated the 3D camera and ulcer characteristics in 36 ulcers in 30 patients using the 3D camera and found a better correlation to clinical assessment (gold standard) compared to 2D images (iPhone 4s) used in telemedical care. The purpose of an ongoing clinical research study is to evaluate intra-and inter-rater variability in ulcer area and volume measurement using the above-mentioned 3D camera in a different study setup .
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