Correct cleansing & debridement of a diabetic foot ulcer?

My mom has a ulcer on her heel. She is diabetic, 65 yrs old %26amp; has peripheral neuropathy too. Need some info on successful debridement of the ulcer. It is infected and has some black areas and white areas.


And please don't tell me to see the doc. Already went to E.R. and they prescibed oral antibiotics and told us to clean and treat her ulcer.


But didn't give us any helpful info.....I know ';big help'; they are.


I would appreciate any helpful info u can give me or if u know of a good website that u can direct me too.


Thank youCorrect cleansing %26amp; debridement of a diabetic foot ulcer?
you were treated terribly. Care of the diabetic foot should be done professionally. They should at least direct you to instruction on this. Ask the office if she qualifies in any way for a nurse to come do this or teach you how do to this properly. Best wishes.Correct cleansing %26amp; debridement of a diabetic foot ulcer?
She really should see a wound care expert or someone trained to care for diabetic ulcers. If something is done to the foot from info you got on here, she could lose her foot, or leg. Don't ask important things like that here!
Cleaning and debridement should be done by a podiatrist. Does your mom have medical insurance? Most of them will pay for this.


If you absolutely can't get it done at a podiatrist, contact one and try to purchase a cream called Accuzyme.


After washing the foot, apply the cream to the ulcer and cover it. The cream will kill the damaged skin and help it to be scraped off. (That is what debridement means).


Keep the ulcer wrapped and stay off of it as much as possible.


Every 24 hours, you uncover the ulcer, soak it in warm water with Betadine in it, and then scrape the dead skin off the ulcer. Mostly it will be around the edges but you have to scrape across the ulcer too, if there is any dead skin there. Whatever you use to scrape with has to be sterilized before each use with Betadine or alcohol. Ask the podiatrist what to use to scrape.


After, reapply fresh Accuzyme and cover the ulcer again. I used gauze pads and the sticks-to-itself wrapping, then covered it with an Ace bandage. If your mom doesn't have to go to work and walk around on it, the Ace bandage probably isn't necessary.





I don't have to tell you to keep everything sterile, wash the basin she soaks her foot in every day, and wash your hands before touching anything.


Good luck!
the general rule is, if it's wet, you want it to be dry, and if it's dry you want it to be moist. most diabetic foot ulcers are oozy... but it sound like it may have some necrotic (dead) tissue around it and perhaps a scab over it. the dead tissue has to be removed... however it's done (whether by cutting it off or trying to debride it otherwise). if she has diabetes and peripherial neuropathy then she may not be very well off. it takes these wounds a LONG time (months) to heal. she really should see a wound care specialist. the ER is not the place to go in this situation, since it's a one time visit for an essentially chronic condition. they can get infected, can lead to bone infection, and lead to loss of the limb. a wound care doc can help you to find the right things (most regular docs are not well trained in this), in order to have the most efficient/fastest healing possible.