The Effect of Clinical Pathway Implementation on Healing of Post Lower Limb Amputation for Diabetic Patients

Diabetic lower limb amputation remains the serious outcome of diabetic footcomplications. It has been consistently shown that the best results of diabetic stump careoccur when clinical pathway /an interdisciplinary approach is taken toward treatment.Objective: To determine the effect of implementing a clinical pathway on healing of postlower limb amputation for diabetic patients. Settings: The study was carried out in theVascular Unit, Department of Surgery at the Alexandria Main University Hospital and thePrivate Alexandria Vascular Center (AVC) using a quasi experimental research design.Subjects: The study included 40 adult diabetic patients undergoing first exposure tounilateral lower limb amputation and free from vital organ failure. Study subjects arerandomly divided into control and study groups (20 patients each). Tools: Three tools wereused for data collection; Perioperative Diabetic Lower Limb Amputation Assessment,Clinical Pathway Variances Observation Checklist and Patients Satisfaction Scale. Results:The study implies statistical significant difference in favor of the study group regardingwound healing during the second to the sixth week in postoperative follow up period. Theresults also imply that the study group had significantly higher satisfaction level as comparedto the control one. Conclusion: Diabetic patients underwent lower limb amputation exhibitedsignificantly better post clinical pathway health outcomes comparing with control one.Recommendations: Applying the clinical pathway for diabetic patients undergoing lowerlimb amputation rather than the hospital routine care is recommended.