Utility of DPNCheck^®, a Point-of-Care Nerve Conduction Device, in the Risk Assessment of Diabetic Foot Lesions by Nurses

Abstract

Nurses assigned to a ward observe the feet of diabetic patients on admission and provide medical support for the early detection and prevention of diabetic foot in our hospital. The relationship between the results obtained from a DPNCheck^®, a simple nerve conduction measurement device that is useful for diagnosing diabetic neuropathy, and the risk of diabetic foot assessed by the nurses was examined in the present study. One hundred and eleven patients with type 2 diabetes (mean age: 64±14 years, duration of diabetes: 10±9 years) was studied. The abnormal group was defined as the patients with ≥2 abnormalities in 16 observation items for the feet. Assignment to the abnormal group was relatively frequent (n=54, 49 %), and the sensory nerve action potential amplitude (SNAP) was significantly lower in the abnormal group (7.1±4.2 μV) than in the normal group (9.5±5.1 μV). The total number of abnormalities in observation items showed a significantly negative correlation with the SNAP. In particular, the SNAP was significantly lower in the patients found to have an abnormality in their skin or blood flow than in those without such an abnormality. The DPNCheck^® is considered useful for identifying patients who should receive educational guidance and/or medical support concerning foot care.