Does wound care and dressing treat diabetic foot ulcer?

A dressing can absorb drainage, keep the wound surface protected, and provide a clean environment. It does not by itself correct pressure from footwear, reduced blood flow, nerve damage, infection, or high blood glucose. A clinician may need to examine the ulcer's depth, surrounding skin, circulation, sensation, and signs of infection before selecting a dressing and care plan.

Follow the prescribed dressing schedule and wash your hands before and after changing it. Keep the dressing clean and dry, avoid walking barefoot, and reduce pressure on the affected area as instructed. Check both feet daily for new blisters, colour changes, swelling, cracks, or drainage. Do not cut away hard skin or use over-the-counter corn treatments on the ulcer unless a clinician advises it.

Contact your diabetes or wound-care team promptly if the ulcer is new, enlarging, deeper, more painful, or producing more drainage. Seek urgent help for spreading redness, warmth, swelling, pus, fever, chills, a bad smell, black or pale skin, or a cold foot. Sudden loss of sensation or difficulty walking also needs prompt review.

Ask who should change the dressing, how pressure will be relieved, and how often the ulcer needs review. Discuss footwear, circulation checks, glucose management, infection treatment, and the specific signs that require same-day care.