USP La Esperanza implanted a technical pioneer for the diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy.

-half of diabetics will develop nerve damage throughout his life and symptoms usually begin between 10 and 20 years after the diagnosis of the disease

Vitoria-Gasteiz, April 2012.- La Clínica USP La Esperanza has implemented a technical pioneer for the early diagnosis of neuropathy diabetic that, unlike current diagnostic methods, it is non-invasive and painless for the patient, said Dr. Santiago Rodríguez waiterHead of Angiology and Vascular Surgery of USP hope. So far it has been used in approximately 30 patients and it is conducting a study of reliability so far is still very positive, assuming a significant progress in early diagnosis of diabetic neuropathy ”.

Peripheral neuropathy is one of the most frequent and serious pathologies affecting the lower limbs of persons with diabetes type I and type II and that can lead to the risk of amputation of the extremity. In particular, is damage to the peripheral nerves of the lower extremities which is produced by high levels of sugar in the blood and occurs more often in patients who have not adequately controlled sugar levels.

This non-invasive technique and totally painless consists in the use of transdermic patches that are placed simultaneously on both feet. Once after 10 minutes, the resulting color in these patches that will indicate if the patient is at risk for or not a peripheral neuropathy should be noted. The test comes out positive, considering the patient at high risk for diabetic foot ulcers showed by with what happens to make a protocol of the foot care to prevent injuries, among which are: washed daily, review and moisturizing of the feet; use of appropriate footwear to avoid scratches; tighter control of their diabetes mellitus; periodic reviews and early treatment in the event of incipient lesions, parallel assessment of possible arterial disease of lower limbs (arteries obstructive lesion that can degenerate into the limb gangrene); specific care of nursing, counselling and health education in this regard for the patient and their carers.

The test, discovered and marketed very recently, is very simple to use, can be used in outpatient and also by the patient’s own, because it is very comfortable and the results are very reliable. This test is based on the detection of the affectation of the vegetative nervous system typical of diabetic neuropathy.

So far, the early detection of diabetic neuropathy has been through electrophysiological testing (electromyography which records the electrical activity of muscles) and nerve conduction tests (registry of the speed to the traveling signals to nerves throughout). These are testing diagnostic more expensive economically and more annoying for the patient, which also require a greater investment of time, both for the professional and the patient.

It is important to remember that approximately half of diabetics will develop nerve damage throughout his life and that most of the time the symptoms (tingling or burning in arms and legs and feet pain deep in legs and feet) starting between 10 and 20 years after the diagnosis of the disease. This nerve damage involves insensitivity and propensity for foot ulcers (ulcers showed), which can be sobreinfectarse and produce a wet gangrene and loss of the limb. According to the specialist Rodríguez waiter, diabetes mellitus is the leading cause of non-traumatic amputation of the extremity in developed countries ”.

In this sense, early diagnosis and the rigorous disease control are essential to avoid serious conditions and loss of lower limbs. To do so, the service of Angiology and Surgery Vascular of the Clínica USP the hope of Vitoria has implanted this technical pioneer for the early diagnosis of diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

On the USP hospital group

Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Madrid, USP hospital is the first hospital private group in the Spanish market. Currently, USP hospital boasts a network of 12 hospitals, 23 health centres and 4,000 doctors annually serving more than two million patients. In 2011 the company recorded 327.261 clinical stays, 125.076 surgery, 9.952 births and 506.759 er.