MEDIDAS DE PREVENÇÃO DO PÉ DIABÉTICO NA ATENÇÃO PRIMÁRIA

Abstract

Introduction: Diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by hyperglycemia (high blood sugar levels) due to lack of insulin production or resistance to it, and this increase in glycemia can lead to complications in the heart, arteries, eyes, kidneys and nerves, the diabetic foot being one of the most common complications of diabetes, caused by a combination of neuropathy, ischemia and infection. Diabetic foot in the most severe form can lead to amputations and increase the morbidity and mortality of patients with diabetes, therefore, it is important to treat this complication and for that it is necessary to identify and treat early any problem in the feet, such as injuries, infections and ulcers, as well as closely monitoring patients with diabetes and the diabetic foot, including regular checkups and adjusting treatment if necessary. Objective: To identify the necessary measures for the prevention of diabetic foot in Primary Care. Method: This is a bibliographic review, which is configured as a type of literature review that brings together findings from studies developed using different methodologies, allowing reviewers to synthesize results without harming the epistemological affiliation of the included empirical studies. The guiding question of this review is: “What are the preventive measures that can be used in primary care to avoid diabetic foot complications?”. For the production of this article, a selection of scientific articles published in the last 5 years in journals indexed in the Scielo, Medline, Lilacs and Pubmed databases was made, having as descriptors in Health Sciences: Diabetic Foot, Prevention and Primary Health Care. Original articles in Portuguese and English in the literature publication period from 2019 to 2023. Review articles, incomplete and repeated texts will be excluded. Results: The main measures used to prevent foot ulcers in diabetics are the identification of the foot at risk; regularly inspect and examine the foot at risk; educate the person with diabetes, the family and health professionals; ensure routine use of appropriate footwear; treatment of risk factors for ulceration. Conclusion: Health education, especially in Primary Care, is effective, mainly to improve the level of knowledge and help modify the behavior of people with DM.