Treating Diabetic Foot Wounds - Dr Deirdre Fitzgerald-Hughes

Dr Deirdre Fitzgerald-Hughes was awarded funding through the Health Research Board (HRB) and Medical Research Charities Group (MRCG) Joint Funding Scheme. In partnership with Diabetes Ireland, she and her team at RCSI will develop and evaluate specialised treatments for diabetic foot wounds. One in five patients with diabetes are hospitalised with a diabetic foot wound (DFW) at least once in their lives. Infected DFWs are treated by removal of infected tissue and intravenous antibiotics against the infecting pathogens. However, antibiotic treatment often fails due to underlying complications of diabetes such as poor blood flow to the foot and a weakened immune system.