Journal List > J Korean Soc Radiol > v.74(3) > 1087632

Bae, Won, Kim, Kim, Yoon, and Cho: Prevalence and Current Status of Treatment of Diabetic Foot in South Korea

Abstract

Purpose

To investigate the prevalence and the current status of treatment of diabetic foot in Korea using Medicare claim data provided by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service.

Materials and Methods

Diabetic foot patients were selected from the 2011 one-year data with disease classification code based on the Korean Statistical Classification of Disease and Related Health Problems-6 system. Diabetic foot patient was defined as an adult (> 19-year-old) with specific disease codes of diabetic foot or with disease codes of diabetes, with foot ulcer/gangrene. Treatments for diabetic foot from the 5-year data between 2007 and 2011 focused on wound care including orthopedic foot surgery, lower extremity (LE) arterial revascularization procedure and major LE amputation.

Results

Diabetic patients in 2011 were 3763445, and diabetic foot patients were 108346 (2.9%). In the treatment details for the diabetic foot patients, local wound care alone were included in 104430 patients (96.4%), LE revascularization procedures were included in 2782 patients (2.6%) and major LE amputation were included in 1260 patients (1.2%). Of patients with major LE amputation, 1134 (90.1%) had no record of LE revascularization procedure. Of patients who had LE revascularization procedure, 126 (4.5%) had major LE amputation.

Conclusion

The annual prevalence of diabetic foot in 2011 in South Korea was 2.9%, which was similar to findings of other prevalence study of western countries. LE arterial revascularization procedure was performed in only a minority of diabetic foot patients. There is lack of awareness of LE arterial occlusive disease and the necessity of revascularization in treatments of diabetic foot.

Figures and Tables

Fig. 1

Summary of diabetic foot treatments in South Korea. AMP = amputation, BYP = bypass surgery, DM = diabetes mellitus, PTA = percutaneous transluminal angioplasty, REV = revascularization, WC = wound care

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Table 1

Disease Code of Diabetic Foot

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Codes Description
L97 Ulcer of lower limb, NEC
L984 Chronic ulcer of skin, NEC
R02 Gangrene, NEC
L88 Pyoderma gangrenosum
L0301 Cellulitis of toe
M7107 Abscess of bursa, ankle and foot
M7117 Other infective bursitis, ankle and foot
M7287 Abscess of fascia, ankle and foot
M0087 Arthritis and polyarthritis due to other specific bacterial agent, ankle and foot
M0097 Pyogenic arthritis, unspecified, ankle and foot
M0137 Arthritis in other bacterial disease classified elsewhere, ankle and foot
M8697 Unspecified osteomyelitis, ankle and foot
M7267 Necrotizing fasciitis, ankle and foot
I7024 Atherosclerosis of arteries of extremities, with ulceration
I7025 Atherosclerosis of arteries of extremities, with gangrene
I70991 Unspecified atherosclerosis, with gangrene
I70921 Generalized atherosclerosis, with gangrene
I7029 Atherosclerotic gangrene
E1051 IDDM with diabetic peripheral angiopathy, with gangrene
E1070 IDDM with multiple complications, with ulcer of lower limb
E1071 IDDM with multiple complications, with ulcer and gangrene of lower limb
E1151 NIDDM with diabetic peripheral angiopathy, with gangrene
E1251 Malnutrition related DM, with diabetic peripheral angiopathy, with gangrene
E1351 Other specified DM, with diabetic peripheral angiopathy, with gangrene
E1451 Unspecified DM, with diabetic peripheral angiopathy, with gangrene
E1170 NIDDM with multiple complications, with ulcer of lower limb
E1270 Malnutrition related DM, with ulcer of lower limb
E1370 Other specified related DM, with ulcer of lower limb
E1470 Unspecified related DM, with ulcer of lower limb
E1171 NIDDM with multiple complications, with ulcer and gangrene of lower limb
E1271 Malnutrition related DM, with ulcer and gangrene of lower limb
E1371 Other specified DM, with ulcer and gangrene of lower limb
E1471 Unspecified DM, with ulcer and gangrene of lower limb

DM = diabetes mellitus, IDDM = insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, NIDDM = non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus

Table 2

Prevalence of Diabetic Foot in South Korea (2011)

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Diabetes Diabetic Foot (Prevalence; %)
Gender
 Male 1912406 57955 (3.0)
 Female 1851039 50391 (2.7)
Age
 20-29 year 50431 357 (0.7)
 30-39 year 172608 2124 (1.2)
 40-49 year 524829 10534 (2.0)
 50-59 year 998367 26911 (2.7)
 60-69 year 1022399 33888 (3.3)
 70-79 year 774203 27561 (3.6)
 ≥ 80 year 220608 6971 (3.1)
Institution
 Tertiary hospital 480079 26201 (5.5)
 General hospital 708295 33436 (4.7)
 Hospital 314724 5646 (1.8)
 Long-term hospital 54581 1132 (2.1)
 Primary practice office 2198200 41857 (1.9)
 City health care center 7566 74 (1.0)
Health insurance status
 National healthcare 3469131 96301(2.8)
 Medicare assistance 280379 11502 (4.1)
 Veterans affair 13935 543 (3.9)
Total 3763445 108346 (2.9)
Table 3

Current Status of Treatment of Diabetic Foot in South Korea

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Diabetic Foot (108346 Patients) Treatments
Amputation Only
(1134 Patients)
Wound Care Only
(104430 Patients)
Revascularization
(2784 Patients)
Sex Male (n = 57599) 884 (1.5) 54833 (94.6) 2238 (3.9)
Female (n = 50391) 250 (0.5) 49597 (98.4) 544 (1.1)
Age 20-29 year (n = 357) 1 (0.3) 353 (98.9) 3 (0.8)
30-39 year (n = 2124) 23 (1.1) 2093 (98.5) 8 (0.4)
40-49 year (n = 10534) 119 (1.1) 10319 (98.0) 96 (0.9)
50-59 year (n = 26911) 250 (0.9) 2623 (97.5) 425 (1.6)
60-69 year (n = 33888) 383 (1.1) 32474 (95.9) 1031 (3.0)
70-79 year (n = 27561) 273 (0.1) 26300 (95.4) 988 (3.6)
≥ 80 year (n = 6971) 85 (1.2) 6655 (95.5) 231 (3.3)
Institution Tertiary hospital (n = 26201) 394 (1.5) 24281 (92.7) 1526 (5.8)
General hospital (n = 33436) 636 (1.9) 31552 (94.4) 1248 (3.7)
Hospital (n = 5646) 101 (1.8) 5541 (98.1) 4 (0.1)
Long-term hospital (n = 1132) 0 (0) 1132 (100) 0 (0)
Primary practice office (n = 41857) 3 (0) 41850 (100) 4 (0)
City health care center (n = 74) 0 (0) 74 (100) 0 (0)
Health insurance status National Healthcare (n = 96301) 872 (0.9) 93043 (96.6) 2386 (2.5)
Medicare assistance (n = 11502) 261 (2.3) 10862 (94.4) 379 (3.3)
Veterans affair (n = 543) 1 (0.2) 525 (96.7) 17 (3.1)
CRF (+) 6411 323 5560 528
Insulin (+) 36465 1015 33320 2130
Wound care days 55.9 ± 61.3 days 88.1 ± 100 days 54.7 ± 58.5 days 87.2 ± 105.1 days

CRF = chronic renal failure

Table 4

Regional Differences in Prevalence and Treatments for Diabetic Foot in South Korea

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Class Regions Diabetic Foot DM Foot Treatment
Number Prevalence Amputation Only (%) Wound Care Only (%) Revascularization (%)
Metropolitan Cities
 Gwangju 5425 5.0% 35 (0.65) 5238 (96.55) 152 (2.80)
 Daejeon 4757 4.1% 51 (1.07) 4592 (96.53) 114 (2.40)
 Seoul 33028 3.7% 314 (0.95) 31679 (95.92) 1035 (3.13)
 Daegu 7144 3.5% 60 (0.84) 6943 (97.19) 141 (1.97)
 Ulsan 1789 2.7% 22 (1.23) 1724 (96.37) 43 (2.40)
 Incheon 4316 2.4% 62 (1.44) 4162 (96.43) 92 (2.13)
 Busan 6910 2.2% 134 (1.94) 6545 (94.72) 231 (3.34)
Subtotal 63369 3.4% 678 (1.07) 60883 (96.08) 1808 (2.85)
Non-metropolitan Province
 Jeonnam 5320 3.3% 32 (0.60) 5261 (98.89) 27 (0.51)
 Gangwon 4033 3.0% 29 (0.72) 3919 (97.17) 85 (2.11)
 Jeonbuk 4422 2.9% 35 (0.79) 4307 (97.40) 80 (1.81)
 Gyeonggi 18417 2.5% 215 (1.17) 17753 (96.39) 449 (2.44)
 Chungnam 3295 2.3% 19 (0.58) 3206 (97.30) 70 (2.12)
 Gyeongbuk 3370 1.8% 36 (1.07) 3273 (97.12) 61 (1.81)
 Jeju 673 1.7% 12 (1.78) 624 (92.72) 37 (5.50)
 Gyeongnam 3602 1.7% 45 (1.25) 3446 (95.67) 111 (3.08)
 Chungbuk 1845 1.7% 33 (1.79) 1758 (95.28) 54 (2.93)
Subtotal 44977 2.3% 456 (1.01) 43547 (96.82) 974 (2.17)
Total 108346 2.9% 1134 (1.05) 104430 (96.39) 2782 (2.57)

DM = diabetes mellitus

Acknowledgments

This study was grant supported by Korean Interventional Radiology Society.

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