Anesthetic considerations in diabetic patients. Part I: preoperative considerations of patients with diabetes mellitus.

Diabetes mellitus is an increasingly common disease that affects people of all ages, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. Diabetic patients require perioperative care more frequently than their nondiabetic counterparts. The major risk factors for diabetics undergoing surgery are the associated end-organ diseases: cardiovascular disease, autonomic neuropathy, joint collagen tissue, and immune deficiency. Physicians need to pay extra attention to preoperative and preprocedure evaluation and treatment of these diseases to ensure optimal perioperative management.