Preoperative Assessment of the Patient with Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a major cause of morbidity and mortality.  Nearly 30 million Americans have diabetes, more than 25% of which are undiagnosed. Patients with diabetes have multiple problems that should be addressed prior to surgery. They often have uncontrolled glucose levels that should be treated preoperatively. Current studies suggest that outcomes may be improved if perioperative glycemic control is optimized. Patients with diabetes develop end-organ dysfunction that can complicate perioperative management. Preoperative assessment of cardiac, neurologic, vascular, and renal function is necessary for all patients with diabetes that undergo major surgery. Optimization of cardiac disease in particular can reduce major adverse cardiac events for patients with risk factors such as diabetes. Diabetic patients can occasionally present for major surgery with hyperglycemic emergencies such as diabetic ketoacidosis and hyperglycemic hyperosmolar state. These conditions require urgent treatment to prevent mortality regardless of the need for surgery. This article reviews the preoperative assessment and management of these issues. This review contains 1 figure, 4 tables, and 37 references. Key Words: diabetes mellitus (DM), end-organ damage, hyperglycemia, polyuria, polydipsia, polyphagia, perioperative glycemic management, diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), hyperglycemic hyperosmolar state (HHS), perioperative cardiac risk factors