Care of People with Diabetes

Diabetes Mellitus is a chronic disease affecting a large percentage of the population world-wide. In the UK alone there are over 1.4 million people diagnosed with diabetes, a new diagnosis of type 2 diabetes is made every five minutes, and as many as a million people are suspected to have the condition without knowing it. As many as one in ten patients in hospital have diabetes and diabetes accounts for almost a tenth of NHS spending, largely due to the high costs of complications such as heart disease, blindness, kidney disease, stroke, and amputation which all require specialist nursing care. This manual is an essential guide to the care and management of people with diabetes mellitus, aimed at nurses and healthcare professionals, and written by an experienced clinical nurse specialist with extensive knowledge of evidence-based diabetes care. This revised and updated second edition of Care of People with Diabetes serves as an essential companion to clinical practice with a particular emphasis on the acute care setting. Detailed information is included on the underlying pathophysiology and types of diabetes, assessment and management of diabetes, formulating care plans, and patient instruction. New chapters are included on sexual health, older people, and complementary therapies and the chapter on special circumstances has been substantially revised. Important new information is also included on corticosteroids, brittle diabetes, autonomic neuropathy, teeth, gums and haemochromatosis.