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This podcast is for a professional audience and describes the increased risk of amputation among people with diabetes. It suggests resources for health care professionals to diagnose and treat people at high risk.
This podcast is presented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC – safer, healthier people.
Did you know that diabetes is the number one cause of non-traumatic amputation in the United States? Experts estimate that every twenty-four hours, two hundred and thirty diabetes-related amputations are performed in America. Peripheral neuropathy and vascular disease place people with diabetes at high risk for ulcers that won't heal and infections that can lead to amputation.
As a health care professional, you can help protect your patients from amputation. You don't need to be a foot specialist to recognize the signs and symptoms of neuropathy. Find out how you can test your patients' feet for protective sensation by using a simple monofilament test. The National Diabetes Education Program offers a free kit called "Feet Can Last a Lifetime." This kit teaches you how to use the monofilament and how to counsel your patients to prevent amputation. The National Diabetes Education Program, or NDEP, has information and free educational materials for health care professionals and for people with diabetes. Visit www.YourDiabetesInfo.org or call toll-free, 1-888-693-NDEP.
For the most accurate health information, visit www.cdc.gov or call 1-800-CDC-INFO, 24/7.
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