Hot water bottles and diabetic patients--a cautionary tale.
Year: 2005
Type: article
Study design: Case Report
Abstract: Diabetic patients with peripheral neuropathy are advised by their neurologist or GP to be cautious while handling sharp and hot objects, as they are prone to accidental burns to their insensate body parts. About three-quarters of thermal injuries result from the victim's own actions.1 However, many of these patients use hot water bottles in winter to warm their feet. Prolonged contact with these bottles can lead to severe thermal injuries, and we recently encountered two such patients over a span of 3 days who sustained deep burns to their feet, which required hospitalisation. Doctors treating diabetic patients with peripheral neuropathy need to advise patients about this practice.
The first patient was a 55-year-old man with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, who was taking metformin and rosiglitazone. He also had peripheral neuropathy of both feet. He had been advised about foot care by his GP but had not been warned about contact with hot objects. He used a …
Source: Europe PMC (PubMed Central)
Authors: Rajive Mathew Jose, Ramesh Vidyadharan, Deb Kumar Roy, Matt Erdmann
Institution: University Hospital of North Durham
Language: English
Subfield: Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1827412748