According to TASC (Trans-Atlantic Inter-Society Consensus Document on Management of Peripheral Arterial Disease), more than 15% of diabetic patients will develop a foot ulcer during their lifetime, and 14% to 24% of those patients will require amputation. There are several grading systems used by medical professionals, such as podiatrists, to classify the stages or severity of diabetic foot ulcers. The University of Texas system is perhaps the most helpful in podiatry because it uses a dual method of classification that describes ulcers by the level of penetration (grades 0-3) and by the stage of infection (letters A through D) at each depth.
Grade 0 – skin is intact. Could describe foot before the ulcer or after it has healed.
Grade 1 – surface wounds through either the outer layer of skin or just below, but that do not penetrate to the tendon, capsule, or bone.
Grade 2 – ulcers penetrate to the tendon or capsule, but not to the bone and joints.
Grade 3 – wounds penetrate to bone or into a joint.
Each wound grade has a letter stage depending on the presence of infection and/or ischemia (lack of blood flow), so that each grade has the following infection stage.
clean wounds
nonischemic infected wounds (presence of infection but adequate blood flow)
ischemic wounds (inadequate blood flow resulting in soreness and swelling, usually without bleeding)
infected ischemic wounds.
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At Brown & Barron, LLC, we put our clients first because we genuinely care about them and want to help them obtain the compensation they legally deserve. We understand that a legal claim may be the only option for some individuals to be able to afford the treatment they need to heal. We also know that making a podiatrist answer for their actions in a court of law can prevent similar malpractices from happening in the future. That is why we are so committed to helping our clients.
Our award-winning lawyers offer free case evaluations to individuals injured by podiatrist malpractice in Baltimore and throughout Maryland. The sooner you call, the sooner we can help you get started on your claim. With more than 75 years of collective legal experience, you can rest assured knowing that your case is in experienced hands.
Call (410) 698-1717 to arrange a free consultation with a Baltimore podiatrist malpractice lawyer at Brown & Barron, LLC.