Pilot Assessment of the Repeatability of Indocyanine Green Fluorescence Imaging and Correlation with Traditional Foot Perfusion Assessments

Background: Ankle brachial index (ABI), toe pressures (TP), and transcutaneous oxygen pressure (TcPO2) are traditionally used in the assessment of critical limb ischemia (CLI). Indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence imaging can be used to evaluate local circulation in the foot and to evaluate the severity of ischemia. This prospective study analyzed the suitability of a fluorescence imaging system (photodynamic eye [PDE]) in CLI. Material and methods: Forty-one patients with CLI were included. Of the patients, 66% had diabetes and there was an ischemic tissue lesion in 70% of the limbs. ABI, toe pressures, TcPO2 and ICG-fluorescence imaging (ICG-FI) were measured in each leg. To study the repeatability of the ICG-FI, each patient underwent the study twice. After the procedure, foot circulation was measured using a time-intensity curve, where T1/2 (the time needed to achieve half of the maximum fluorescence intensity) and PDE10 (increase of the intensity during the first 10 s) were determined. A time-intensity curve was plotted using the same areas as for the TcPO2 probes (n=123). Results: The mean ABI was 0.43, TP 21 mmHg, TcPO2 23 mmHg, T1/2 38 5, and PDE10 19 AU. Time-intensity curves were repeatable. In a Bland-Altman scatter plot, the 95% limits of agreement of PDE10 was 9.9 AU and the corresponding value of T1/2 was 14 s. Correlation between ABI and TP was significant (R=.73, p Conclusions: According to this pilot study, ICG-Fl with PDE can be used in the assessment of blood supply in the ischemic foot. (C) 2016 European Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Diabetic foot infections: a team-oriented review of medical and surgical management

As the domestic and international incidence of diabetes and metabolic syndrome continues to rise, health care providers need to continue improving management of the long-term complications of the disease. Emergency department visits and hospital admissions for diabetic foot infections are increasingly commonplace, and a like-minded multidisciplinary team approach is needed to optimize patient care. Early recognition of severe infections, medical stabilization, appropriate antibiotic selection, early surgical intervention, and strategic plans for delayed reconstruction are crucial components of managing diabetic foot infections. The authors review initial medical and surgical management and staged surgical reconstruction of diabetic foot infections in the inpatient setting

Discovery of novel GPVI receptor antagonists by structure-based repurposing.

Inappropriate platelet aggregation creates a cardiovascular risk that is largely managed with thienopyridines and aspirin. Although effective, these drugs carry risks of increased bleeding and drug 'resistance', underpinning a drive for new antiplatelet agents. To discover such drugs, one strategy is to identify a suitable druggable target and then find small molecules that modulate it. A good and unexploited target is the platelet collagen receptor, GPVI, which promotes thrombus formation. To identify inhibitors of GPVI that are safe and bioavailable, we docked a FDA-approved drug library into the GPVI collagen-binding site in silico. We now report that losartan and cinanserin inhibit GPVI-mediated platelet activation in a selective, competitive and dose-dependent manner. This mechanism of action likely underpins the cardioprotective effects of losartan that could not be ascribed to its antihypertensive effects. We have, therefore, identified small molecule inhibitors of GPVI-mediated platelet activation, and also demonstrated the utility of structure-based repurposing

The ulcerated leg: when to revascularize

The role of peripheral arterial disease in ulcerated diabetic feet has long been underestimated. Progressive claudication, rest pain and the extent of irreversible tissue loss have frequently been indications for revascularization for neuroischaemic ulcers in diabetic patients. These typical ischaemic symptoms are warning signs that are less frequent in diabetic individuals with ischaemia than those without diabetes. Consequently, 30-50% of individuals with diabetes and foot ulcers already have gangrene at admission and are therefore often considered unsuitable for revascularization. Furthermore, the healing of a neuroischaemic ulcer is worsened by microvascular dysfunction, causing arteriovenous shunting, capillary ischaemia, leakage and venous pooling. Therefore, the threshold of revascularizing neuroischaemic ulcers should be lower than that of purely ischaemic ulcers. Comorbidity, ulcer characteristics and infection affect the decision as to when to intervene, as do the severity and extent of occlusive arterial lesions. The window of opportunity for vascular intervention in the neuroischaemic diabetic foot should not be missed, and the need for early vascular intervention as an integrated part of a strategy to achieve healing should be emphasized. Noninvasive vascular testing should be performed on all individuals with an ulcerated diabetic foot. The arterial tree should be imaged if noninvasive tests indicate ischaemia or when mild or questionable ischaemia is diagnosed and conservative treatment does not promote ulcer healing in 6 weeks. Revascularization should be performed whenever feasible to repair distal perfusion to achieve ulcer healing. Copyright (C) 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd