title: Diabetes and surgery.
abstract: Diabetes mellitus is the metabolic disorder most commonly met by the surgeon. Hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, electrolyte imbalance, vascular, renal and neurological complications and liability to infections must always kept in mind. An accurate preoperative evaluation is essential. The patient must be carefully controlled during the operation and in early postoperative period by i.v. glucose solution with i.v. or subcutaneous insulin. Schemes of treatment for diabetic surgical patients are proposed and results by a sample of 100 patients undergoing major surgical procedures are reported and discussed. Under adequate treatment incidence of complications in these patients is almost the same of not-diabetic patients. Continuous intravenous infusion of 10% glucose solution (500 ml every 6 hours) with potassium and insulin seems to be very safe if continuous monitoring of the blood and urine glucose and ketones is observed.
mesh_terms: D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000628:therapy*; D005947:Glucose / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D011188:Potassium / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012306:Risk; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D005947:Glucose; D011188:Potassium