You may have heard that diabetics face a greater risk of complications during hospital stays. Well, now there's evidence that diabetics with trauma injuries are particularly at risk. That info comes courtesy of a large Pennsylvania study that looked at records for around 25,000 trauma patients, half with diabetes, the other half without. The study tracked the patients' progress over the course of almost twenty years. Impressive.What did they find? Twenty-three percent of the diabetic trauma patients experienced complications. That compares with only fourteen percent of non-diabetics. The diabetics also spent slightly more time in intensive care and were more likely to need ventilator support. The overall risk of infections was higher too - eleven percent versus six percent.
Good news: despite all this, the data did not suggest people with diabetes are more likely to die after a trauma injury. Nor did it suggest diabetics stay in hospital longer than non-diabetics. The team that conducted the study states that the next step would be to examine whether or not improved blood sugar control in diabetic trauma patients would impact these figures.
Read more about these findings by visiting MedPageToday or, for a brief summary, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Or check out the full report, published in Archives of Surgery (July, 2007).
1. Hi Diane;
Apparently hospitalised Diabetics have 'better numbers' and/or 'better control' applied to their above the national average blood sugar concentration.
Trauma can contribute to HYPERglycaemia ... the body's way of protecting against HYPOglycaemia and increasing the availability of adequate emergency fuel [eg glucose] at local trauma sites of the body.
It is forseeable that any HYPOglycaemic agent could starve the local trauma sites of the body ... the faster the 'better numbers' and/or 'better control' the greater the increased likelyhood of fuel starvation / HYPOglycaemia at the local trauma sites ... the greater the likelyhood of associated complications.
Which is the more likely ultimate objective for any hospitalised Diabetics ... 'better numbers' and/or 'better control' or healthier Men & Women [with above the national average blood sugar concentration]?:-
http://www.thediabetesblog.com/2007/06/26/Diabetes-control-has-improved-dramatically-in-U.S./
(a) Diabetic Women have 'better numbers' and/or 'better control' than Diabetic Men; and
http://www.thediabetesblog.com/2007/06/19/fatal-gender-gap-heart-disease-and-diabetic-women
(b) Diabetic Men have healthier hearts than Diabetic Women ...
... any comments as to possible reasons why Diabetic Men have healthier hearts than Diabetic Women even though Diabetic Women have 'better numbers' and/or 'better control' than Diabetic Men ... should be most appreciated.
www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/ihj/48/3/337/_pdf
Furthermore in relation to 'control' ... Please note Erkan Hassan's comments: "Sliding-scale insulin is not recommended because it is ineffective and potentially dangerous..."
http://www.ajhp.org/cgi/content/abstract/64/10_Supplement_6/S9
"Hypoglycemia is the primary limiting factor for achieving optimal glycemic control with insulin therapy. Computer decision support systems can help reduce the risk of insulin infusion rate calculation errors..."
www.thediabetesblog.com/2007/06/06/victims-of-circumstance-in-hypoglycemic-unawareness/1#c5614998
Until any Peer reviewed medical research exists to evidence the contrary ... the ONLY side effect, of biochemical concern, for any UNdrugTREATED Human Being [aka Diabetic] having 'above average blood glucose' ... is dehydration [usually highlighted by a dry mouth] and eating too often.
Warm thanks, Nick Dynes Gracey, BSc(Hons) Medical Biochemistry, Birmingham University, UK, WATerian c/o www.TheDiabetesBlog.com @ 16:34hrs WED.18.JUL.2007.
ps... Diabetes Is Caused By Food And Or Drug Administration Too Much And Or Too Often...
www.thediabetesblog.com/2007/04/19/no-food-no-problem
Posted at 11:51AM on Jul 18th 2007 by Nicholas Dynes Gracey