The following article describes hospital diabetic care that you may expect before, during and after your surgery, during which you will receive anesthesia.
There is a list of possible interventions that you might expect.
But please remember that this is a guideline only and each hospital will have their specific policies and procedures that the nursing and medical staff will follow.
Also, each patient with diabetes is an individual and will require a different level of intervention depending on the type of their surgery as well as on their diabetes type and its usual management.
Additionally, if the person with diabetes suffers from any other additional conditions such as heart and/or renal disease or is pregnant, a more complex hospital care would be required and a multi professional team will be involved to implement the appropriate care.
Once in a hospital, nursing and medical staff will refer to your operative care as: 1.
Before the surgery - 'pre-op' care 2.
During the surgery - 'peri-op' care 3.
After your surgery - 'post-op' care The main concern is to maintain your blood sugars within limits, which will involve closer monitoring.
The reason for that is, that blood sugar levels in diabetics rise, often unpredictably, during illness and physical and psychological stress.
What you might expect while in hospital having your surgery? 1.
the day BEFORE the surgery -you will be asked to fast from usually late evening or midnight, the sign of 'Nil-By-Mouth' would appear at your bed site to make sure that all nursing staff is aware -you will take your regular medications the night before the surgery, including your insulin -your blood sugars might be monitored more often 2.
the day of the surgery -in majority of hospitals diabetic patients are usually first on the operating list, which means that you will be one of the first patients having surgery on your due day -your blood sugars will be monitored at very regular intervals, expect this to be done hourly, half hourly, or more frequently nearer to your surgery -you will be asked to omit your morning oral medications (anti-diabetic tablets) -if you are usually taking insulin for your diabetes - you will be started on the insulin infusion via a drip through your vein 3.
AFTER the surgery -your blood sugars will be monitored at very regular intervals, expect this to be done more frequently immediately following the surgery and than less frequently, until you are able to eat a normal diet -you will restart your usual medications as soon as possible after your surgery -once eating a normal diet and your blood sugars are remaining stable you will restart your usual diabetic medications -if you are on the insulin infusion pump, this is usually stopped in one hour or so later Most hospitals have now specialised diabetic wards, however if you are awaiting surgery you might be treated on the surgical or orthopedic ward, where nurses and medical staff are trained in caring for diabetic surgical patients, and who will seek advice from diabetic ward staff if needed.
Also the specialist diabetic nurse will be involved in your hospital care, whether you are on the diabetic ward or on any other ward.