This retrospective study examines the surgical and antibiotic treatment of diabetic foot syndrome infections treated at the University Hospital Basel since 2019.

It analyses the implementation of the hospital in-house guidelines published in 2019 with regard to antibiotic therapy in diabetic foot infections, taking into account clinical, microbiological and histopathological criteria. The defined endpoints are (i) fully compliant with internal policies, (ii) partially compliant with internal policies, and (iii) not compliant with internal policies. The recording of these proportions is descriptive.

This retrospective study examines the surgical and antibiotic treatment of diabetic foot syndrome infections treated at the University Hospital Basel since 2019. (In 2019 the departments of infectiology and orthopedics at the University Hospital Basel published recommendations with regard to the duration of antibiotic therapy in infections of the diabetic foot syndrome. This depends on whether a surgical intervention was performed and takes into account both the microbiological and the histopathological samples). Data that are routinely collected in everyday clinical practice and stored in the hospitals' medical records will be evaluated. The aim of this research project is to check the implementation of these recommendations.

Inadequate use of antibiotics should thus be recognized. The study has the aspect of quality control.

Inclusion Criteria:

• soft tissue infection or bone infection (incl. osteomyelitis) in diabetic foot syndrome
• inpatient stay at the University Hospital Basel between January 1st, 2019 and December 31st, 2021
• surgical intervention (amputation and/or debridement)
• signed general consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• datasets without a diagnosis of the diabetic foot
• no surgical intervention performed (amputation and/or debridement)
• surgical interventions performed by disciplines other than orthopaedics/traumatology (e.g. vascular surgery)
• infections in osteosynthesis material (implant or fracture-associated infections)

The data in this retrospective study derive from everyday clinical work, collected between January 1st, 2019 and December 31st, 2021 at the Department of Infectiology and Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology at the University Hospital Basel.