Ações para o autocuidado preventivo do pé diabético: revisão integrativa da literatura

Abstract

Diabetic foot (DF) is one of the most critical complications of diabetes. Foot ulcerations and infections account for up to 50% of the total amputation rate in Brazil, occurring mainly due to the development of neuropathies and ischemia, factors that preventive self-care actions can avoid. This study aims to identify the self-care actions that should be acquired by diabetic patients to prevent DF. An integrative literature review was carried out in October 2021, using the MEDLINE, LILACS, IBECS, and BDENF databases as a source of information, indexed in the Virtual Health Library (VHL). The descriptors “Diabetic Foot”, “Self-care” and “Prevention & Control” were used with the Boolean operators AND and OR. The inclusion criteria: scientific articles or Manuals and Guidelines developed/made available by official bodies and/or recognized Scientific Societies, published between 2016 and 2021 and available in Portuguese, Spanish or English. For data organization, analysis, and synthesis, the Rayyan web application was used. 407 references/study abstracts were identified, and 7 documents were selected after analysis focusing on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Of these, 4 documents were guidelines, two were literature reviews, and one was a scientific article. As for the recommendations, the main ones were referring to self-examination of the feet, hygiene care, daily care, health literacy, proper use of shoes, and seeking professional help. Corroborating that preventive self-care actions are interconnected in a chain of elements, influenced by the exchange of knowledge between patients and health professionals. The results highlighted the importance of specific professional training for the assessment and preventive care of DF, including training for health education aimed at diabetic patients at risk of developing DF.