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Amputee warns of diabetes danger

Wednesday, 03 September 2008

A Southside man who lost part of his leg after it became infected with gangrene has spoken about the importance of chiropodists to diabetics.
Jimmy Sergeant (60) from Windmill Park in Crumlin had diabetes for over 25 years which caused a loss of feeling in his right leg.
After being treated at Tallaght Hospital a chiropodist advised having the leg below the knee amputated.
“I didn’t have a lot of feeling in my leg but I knew there was a sore in it,” he said. “I was going backwards and forwards to Tallaght Hospital and after a few months I asked for a second opinion and another doctor.
“They took me in and they had me on antibiotics for nine months. Then they did two operations on it and took away part of my toe and sucked out the poison.
“We weren’t happy with the way it was going so a second chiropodist said it had to come off. If the leg had not been amputated I could have died from the gangrene.
“The chiropodist is your first line of defence,” he added. “I have one at Tallaght and she is brilliant.”
Mr Sergeant was speaking after it was revealed that a position for a foot specialist at the State’s largest hospital in South Dublin remains vacant.

The HSE has yet to advertise the post at St James’s Hospital.
Cllr Ray McHugh (SF), who is himself a diabetic, said chiropodists can in some cases provide life saving treatment for diabetes sufferers. He called for the immediate filling of the vacant chiropodist post at the country’s busiest hospital.
“Diabetes patients can lose all feeling in their feet which can mean they are unaware of cuts, lesions or any other injuries they may suffer,” he pointed out.
“Without treatment these injuries can develop into serious infections. As it stands now patients are being told that they must go private if they want the treatment. For those in the lower income bracket this is not a viable option.”
He added: “People should not be exposed to serious health problems based on their ability to pay.”
If left uncontrolled, diabetes can result in the amputation of limbs and blindness. Limbs sometimes have to be amputated because of infection to the feet caused by high blood sugar levels in diabetics.
The circulation of the blood in the hands and feet of diabetics is often very poor and as a result the nerves in the feet are damaged and the patient loses feeling.
As a consequence even a minor cut can become infected and if it goes unnoticed may become serious enough to require the amputation of a limb.
A spokeswoman for the HSE said: “It is planned to advertise the chiropodist post in the next couple of weeks. There is no disruption of services in the meantime.”

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