Hypoglycemia: prevalence and risk factors in hospitalized patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Hypoglycemia is one of the most common complications in patients with diabetes mellitus DM2. Its incidence is more common than the adverse events associated with hyperglycemia, especially among elderly patients with long-term diabetes, suffering from comorbidities. The following main causes of hypoglycemia in hospitalized patients are: reducing the quantity and/or caloric intake in the perioperative period or due to the patient condition; inconsistency of short-acting insulin dosage to the food intake quantity by the patient; changes in regimen or rapid cessation of enteral or parenteral nutrition; ignorance of hypoglycemia signs or patient’s inability to report his signs. The lack of knowledge in healthcare personnel on hypoglycemic signs, suddenness of signs concerning starvation in a particular patient, delay in the communication between healthcare personnel and doctors, lack of data from the doctor in occurrence of hypoglycemic episode, tasks manifold to relieve the hypoglycemic episode and their necessity to be performed simultaneously, the absence of coordinated actions in relation to the patient such as feeding, glycemic control and insulin administration - all this leads to the development of hypoglycemia and its complications. Multidisciplinary treatment targeted at the patient can help identify patients at risk, prevent this complication from occurring, and help optimize the treatment of hypoglycemia.