The symptoms of depression and anxiety in patients with diabetic foot treated with hyperbaric oxygen - preliminary results

The aim of the study was to assess the level of anxiety and depressiveness in patients who had qualified for hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for the treatment of ulcerative lesions in the lower limbs, occurring as a result of diabetic foot syndrome (DFS),. A total of 50 patients with type 2 diabetes and diabetic foot syndrome were enrolled to the study. All patients have received 30 sessions of HBOT. During the therapy blood glucose was measured and photographic documentation was carried out. All patients underwent the following procedures: medical history and socioeconomic interview, psychiatric examination, self-report and objective psychometric tests to measure anxiety and depressiveness. Based on the obtained results, we reported that patients with a greater degree of tissue damage had higher levels of depressive symptoms in the self-report tests as well as in the objective evaluation of the investigator. In terms of location of ulcerative lesions - the level of depressiveness was greater when the affected area included toes, and the level of anxiety was increased when it concerned the heel. Regarding other parameters, statistically significant correlations were not observed.