Epidemiology of diabetic foot in Bukavu

Abstract The prevalence of diabetes is increasing in all countries, and diabetic foot is a complication with serious functional consequences. Due to its prevalence and the morbidity it causes, diabetic foot has become a public health problem. Our retrospective cross-sectional study is primarily descriptive. Its aim is to determine the frequency of diabetic foot in the surgical department of the Panzi General Referral Hospital during the period from January 2017 to December 2021. During these five years, the hospital recorded 745 hospitalized patients, of whom 25 were included in this study. The frequency was 3.4%, the mean age was 46.84 +/- 22.4 years (range 3 to 80 years), and patients aged 41 to 60 years were the most affected, representing 44% of our series. There was a female predominance, with 68% of the cases studied, and a sex ratio of 0.47. The majority of patients came from urban areas (64% of cases). Arteriopathy was the most frequent type of diabetic foot (48%), with gangrenous lesions accounting for another 48%, and type 2 diabetes being the most prevalent (68%). Conversely, 94% of patients admitted to the surgical department of the Panzi General Referral Hospital were discharged with their lesions stabilized. Diabetic foot is common among diabetic patients in South Kivu. Combating this scurge requires patient and healthcare staff education, as well as multidisciplinary and coordinated care. Our study and literature review highlighted the epidemiology of diabetic foot in order to determine its prevalence in South Kivu. Keywords: Epidemiology, diabetes and diabetic foot.