HMC receives about 30 cases of foot & ankle injuries daily

LANI ROSE R DIZON

DOHA THE Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Emergency Department receives between 20 and 30 cases of foot and ankle injuries per day with ankle sprains as one of the most frequently reported cases.

According to experts attending the 2nd Joint Meeting of the Asian Muscoloskeletal Society (AMS) and The Arabian Gulf Society of Skeletal Radiology (AGSSR), which opened here on Saturday, foot and ankle injuries should not be ignored and treatment must be provided immediately to avoid unwanted complications which may even lead to surgeries and amputations.

Speaking to Qatar Tribune on the sidelines of the event, HMC senior consultant radiologist Dr Shatha al Hilli said, “At the emergency radiology, we receive a lot of patients from different age groups and backgrounds coming with swollen feet, fractures and ankle sprains and all sorts of foot injuries. Some ladies slip and sprain their ankles, while many young people suffer the injuries in sports activities.” She added, “We receive between 20 and 30 cases per day and if a patient has a fracture, the case is forwarded to the musculoskeletal section.

Foot and ankle injuries are associated with activity. So if we see an increase in the number of cases, it somehow means that more people are becoming active. This conference also features a refresher course on foot and ankle imaging, as Qatar is hosting the FIFA World Cup 2022 and the most common sports injuries are foot, ankle, and knee injuries”.

Dr Mahmoud al Heidous, head of radiology department at the HMC’s Al Wakrah Hospital and chairman of the conference, said that diabetic patients and people with immune deficiency are the most at risk to develop complications from foot and ankle injuries and infections.

He said, “We receive young people with diabetes who are only in their 30’s having one or more of their limbs amputated because they have not controlled their sugar levels very well. They develop gangrene and other complications and amputation is the only solution left. We advise the residents to go for early diagnosis so that early on, we may advise them how to manage their foot and ankle care.” Speaking about ways to prevent foot and ankle infections, Heidous also said, “Hygiene is very important especially for the immune-compromise or diabetic patients.

“Walking bare-foot in the sand without cleaning afterwards, overuse of socks, and dirty shoes can be good incubators for bacteria which lead to infection.” The two-day meet which was organised by the HMC also featured pre-conference workshops on spinal intervention, knee spot imaging, and foot and ankle ultrasound.

Al Hilli said, “Radiologists can now perform some therapeutic interventions for the patients to relieve them from pain immediately. Aside from diagnosis, we’re also planning to have our radiology staffs perform these therapeutic interventions in the future.”