Practical management of patient with diabetes in critical care. From a diabetes educator's perspective.

The purpose of this article was to provide an overview of the management of the hospitalized patient with diabetes. Having a basic knowledge of their needs is essential to maintain blood glucose control and reduce the risk of long-term complications. It is also essential to reduce the risk of hypoglycemic reactions due to reduced carbohydrate intake with subsequent diabetes medication administration. The most frequent reason for hypoglycemia is insulin administration along with a reduction in the amount of carbohydrate consumed. Practical advice is included to aid the medical staff to help maintain consistency in the amount of carbohydrate in meals as well as increase the knowledge base of carbohydrate content of common foods.