Volume 29, Issue 165, November 2025

The second and third-degree thermal burn in a patient with diabetic polyneuropathy – Case report

Żanna Gawrysz^1♦, Stanisław Derewjanko²

¹Wielospecjalistyczny Szpital Samodzielny Publiczny Zakład Opieki Zdrowotnej w Nowej Soli, ul. Chałubińskiego 7, 67-000 Nowa Sól, Poland
²Collegium Medicum Uniwersytetu Zielonogórskiego, ul. Zyty 28, 65- 046 Zielona Góra, Polska

^♦Corresponding author
Żanna Gawrysz, Wielospecjalistyczny Szpital Samodzielny Publiczny Zakład Opieki Zdrowotnej w Nowej Soli, ul. Chałubińskiego 7, 67-000 Nowa Sól, Poland

ABSTRACT

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease of civilization characterized by elevated blood glucose levels. It results from insufficient insulin production by the pancreas or from ineffective insulin management by the body. Hyperglycemia is a common effect of uncontrolled diabetes. Over time, it can lead to damage to the body's crucial systems, such as the nervous and circulatory systems. In the course of diabetic polyneuropathy, there is a loss of sensation of touch, vibration, pain, and temperature, which can directly contribute to the development of burns. In this publication, we present a case review of a 74-year-old male patient who was admitted with burns located on both feet to the Department of Plastic Surgery and Burn Treatment. Upon admission, the burn was classified as grade IIB/III, covering approximately 3% of the total body surface area. In the initial phase, we included insulin and antibiotic therapy, burn wound disinfection, and dressing treatment. We performed a necrosectomy after cleaning the wound and exposing the demarcation zone. We covered soft tissue defects with free skin grafts and observed a gradual improvement in the local condition. We stabilized the blood glucose levels of the patient and started treatment of diabetic polyneuropathy. Early intervention, including proper insulin therapy, a specific antibiotic, and topical treatment, leads to a favorable treatment outcome in the treatment of burns in patients with diabetic neuropathy.

Keywords: burn, burn treatment, burn wound, diabetic neuropathy, skin graft

Medical Science, 2025, 29, e216ms3726

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi.v29i165.e216ms3726

Published: 27 November 2025