title: Diabetic complications with special anaesthetic risk.
abstract: Diabetes mellitus leads to acute and chronic complications. Acute complications include hypoglycaemia, diabetic keto-acidosis, hyperglycaemic hyperosmolar non-ketotic syndrome and lactic acidosis. Chronic complications are neuropathies, nephropathy, retinopathy, peripheral arterial disease, cerebrovascular disease, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy, hypertension, infection, delayed wound healing and stiff joint disease. End-organ pathology is in part responsible for the increased morbidity and mortality seen in diabetic patients in the peri-operative period. A thorough pre-operative search for end-organ pathology is essential to optimise patient management. Relevant diabetic complications and their anaesthetic risk are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, University of Pretoria.
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Ockert
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hugo
mesh_terms: D000140:Acidosis, Lactic / Q000209:etiology; D000758:Anesthesia / Q000009:adverse effects*; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications; D016883:Diabetic Ketoacidosis / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000209:etiology; D012307:Risk Factors