The influence of coexisting diabetes mellitus on the frequency of perioperative complications

Introduction: Objectives: A surgical procedure is a serious interference in the homeostasis of the body. The coexistence of diabetes mellitus additionally causes many adverse changes, which may be intensified by the surgical trauma. The organism of a patient with diabetes does not cope as well with changes resulting from surgery as that of a patient without the disease. The most common postoperative complications are acute infections. Deaths usually occur in patients with late vascular complications of diabetes mellitus, patients with comorbidities, or patients undergoing emergency surgeries.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence and kind of perioperative complications in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Material and methods: The study involved 40 patients with diabetes mellitus, who had been subjected to surgical treatment. The most numerous group was patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (90%).

Patients’ individual medical documentation from the 1st to the 12th day was analysed depending on the kind of surgical treatment.

Results: 40 patients (60% females and 40% males) aged from 28 to 83 years (M = 56; SD = 13.9) took part in the study. The value of glycaemia in the study sample before the surgery was between 79 mg/dl and 248 mg/dl. After the surgery, the value of glycaemia was between 78 mg/dl and 246 mg/dl. Glycaemia exceeding 151 mg/dl was found in half of the patients.

Conclusions: Hyperglycaemia, which occurred in 35% of the patients, was treated with intravenous administration of short-acting insulin. The doses of insulin were determined on the basis of glycaemia values in accordance with the recommendations of the PDA.