Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) have high rates of disability and mortality; however, the choice of antibiotics is still controversial because the types of bacteria that infect vary.

This study tests whether or not the bacterial species profile is different for different Wagner classifications.

We found that as the Wagner grade increases, the complexity of the infected bacteria increases.

Understanding the pathogen profile of DFUs is critical to preventing antimicrobial misuse and antibiotic resistance.