Short-term complications of type 2 diabetes

INTRODUCTION

Diabetes is associated with a number of complications of differing duration, complexity and severity that can occur during the management of blood glucose levels. This module is intended to develop understanding of the short term complications of diabetes – 'hypos and hypers' – and their implications for morbidity and mortality.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

On completion of this module, you will:

• Be familiar with the causes, signs, symptoms of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and hyperosmolar hyperglycaemic state (HHS)
• Be aware of the significance of DKA in undiagnosed patients, especially children
• Recognise that DKA and HHS are medical emergencies, which require urgent hospital admission for intensive management
• Be able to describe the symptoms of hypoglycaemic events, their immediate management, and the minimisation of hypo risk through appropriate prescribing
• Be able to offer appropriate advice on the prevention of these complications
• Be familiar with the sick day rules

This module is one of a series of five. Others in the series are:

• Targets for glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes
• Tailoring therapy to the individual patient
• Renal considerations in patients with type 2 diabetes
• Cardiovascular considerations in patients with type 2 diabetes

This resource is provided at an intermediate level. Read the article and answer the self-assessment questions, and reflect on what you have learned.

Complete the resource to obtain a certificate to include in your revalidation portfolio. You should record the time spent on this resource in your CPD log.