2. Peri-operative diabetic control
Aims : maintain good glycemic control throughout
: maintain normal electrolyte concentrations
: optimize intra-operative cardiovascular and renal function
to reduce the post operative complications and mortality
2
3. General guidance
Modern management of the surgical patient with diabetes
focuses on:
- thorough pre-operative assessment
- optimization of glycemic control
- careful intra-operative and post operative management
3
4. Types of surgery
Minor surgery means:
- day case or overnight stay, likely to resume normal
oral intake within 12 hours (missing only one meal)
Major surgery means:
- unlikely to resume normal intake more than 12 hours
(missing 2 meals or more)
4
5. Pre operative assessment for Diabetes Mellitus
1. General Assessment
- presence of cardiac, renal and neurological sequelae of Diabetes
2. Assessment of Glycemic control
- Desired preoperative HbA1C is < 8.5% (8 - 9% is acceptable
depending on individual)
- Recommended target : 4 - 6 mmol/L (pre meal) and < 10 mmol/L
(2HPP)
5
6. Elective surgery
(a) Minor surgery
Patients on diet alone or oral hypoglycemic agents ( OHA)
- Omit OHA on the day of the operation
- Check capillary blood glucose before and after the operation
- If blood glucose is 4 -10 mmol/L (70-180mg/dl), simple
observation is required
-If blood glucose is > 10mmol/L (180mg/dl), consider the
need for glucose-potassium-insulin infusion(GKI) or variable
rate intravenous insulin infusion ( VRIII )
-If blood glucose <4mmol/L (70mg/dl), treat as
hypoglycemia
-Restart OHA after the operation once the patient has had the
first meal 6
7. Elective surgery
Patients on insulin
Omit morning insulin on the day of the operation
Check capillary blood glucose before and after the operation
- If blood glucose is 4 - 10 mmol/L (70-180mg/dl), simple observation is
required
-If blood glucose is >10mmol/L (180mg/dl), consider the need for glucose-
potassium-insulin infusion(GKI) or variable rate intravenous insulin
infusion ( VRIII )
-If blood glucose < 4mmol/L (70mg/dl), treat as hypoglycemia
-Restart usual insulin and diet after the operation
7
8. Elective surgery
(b) Major surgery
Patients on diet alone or OHA
Omit OHA on the day of the operation
Commence GKI or VRIII 2 hours before the operation
Monitor the blood glucose hourly pre, intra and post operatively
Stop GKI or VRIII and restart the usual medication only when the
patient is eating and drinking normally
8
9. .Patients on insulin
Omit subcutaneous soluble or rapid acting insulin and mixed insulin on the
day of the operation
Long acting (basal; Glargine) insulin is usually continued at normal time even
when the patient is on GKI or VRIII
If the surgery is planned in the evening and patient is having breakfast,
administer half the normal breakfast insulin
Commence GKI or VRIII two hours before the operation
Monitor blood glucose hourly pre, intra and post operatively
If blood glucose < 4 mmol/L (70mg/dl), treat as hypoglycemia
When the patient is eating and drinking normally, start normal dose of insulin
with the first meal and stop the GKI or VRIII 60 minutes later
9
10. Emergency Surgery
There will be no opportunity for pre admission planning
If the blood sugars are > 250 mg/dl and signs of
decompensation (acidosis, hypotension), check urine/blood
ketones /electrolytes
If ketones is positive, postpone operation , refer to physicians
and treat as DKA
If blood sugars rises above 10mmol/L(180mg/dl) , GKI or
VRIII should be commenced and continued until the patient
finishes operation and starts eating and drinking
10
11. Post operative care
Aims
Ensure the glycemic control, fluid and electrolyte balances are
maintained
Aim for capillary blood glucose level in the 5.6 -10 mmol/L (100-
180mg/dl) where this can be achieved safely
Monitor the fluid and electrolyte daily and prescribe appropriate
fluid
Encourage an early return to normal eating and drinking,
facilitating return to usual diabetes regimen 11
12. Glucose-Potassium-Insulin infusion (GKI)
GKI infusion avoid the risk associated with running IV
glucose and IV insulin through separate lines
If one canula becomes blocked, the patient may become
hypo- or hyperglycemia.
However GKI infusions are not suitable in poorly
controlled diabetes or patients who are very unwell
(where close serum glucose monitoring is required)
12
13. Take a 500ml of 10% glucose and add soluble insulin according
to the table below
The insulin should be injected into the bag according to
following table and mixed thoroughly
Add 10 -20 mmol of KCl (Note: omit KCL if patient has renal failure or
pre-op: K+ > 5mmol/L)
13
Blood glucose
mmol/L (mg/dl)
Insulin (units) in
each
500 ml bag
Serum potassium
(mmol/L)
KCL to be added
(mmol/bag)
<4 (<70) Treat as
hypoglycemia
<3 20
4-6 (70-110) 6 3-5 10
6-10 (110-180) 10 >5 None
10-20 (180-360) 15
>20 (360) 20
14. Run infusion at 100ml/hr
Target glucose 5.6 -10 mmol/L (100 -180 mg/dl)
Each change in units of insulin per bag requires a new bag
It is not acceptable to allow blood glucose levels to be
consistently > 10 mmol/L (180 mg/dl) and hypoglycemia < 4
mmol/L (<70 mg/dl) should be avoided
If the patient has significantly impaired renal function (eGFR
< 30), the patient may need a reduced insulin dose or a reduced
infusion rate
14
15. The patient who is insulin resistant (obese, infection, steroid
therapy) needs more insulin (2-6 more units)
The pre-, intra and post-op blood glucose is stable, the post-op
blood glucose may be checked 2 hourly
Change to subcutaneous insulin when eating normally. It is
important to continue the IV insulin infusion for 60 minutes
after the first subcutaneous insulin injection has been given
15
16. Variable rate intravenous insulin infusion (VRIII)
This is alternative to the GKI infusion, which is more suitable and practical
for very ill patients peri- or post-operatively
It involves separate infusion of glucose and insulin in two different lines
Target glucose 5.6 -10 mmol/L (100 -180 mg/dl)
It is not acceptable to allow blood glucose levels to be consistently > 10
mmol/L (180 mg/dl) and hypoglycemia < 4 mmol/L (<70 mg/dl) should be
avoided
16
17. VRIII
Insulin preparation
A 50 ml syringe with 50 units of soluble insulin with 49.5 ml of 0.9%
sodium chloride solution (syringe pump )
A 250 ml of 0.9% sodium chloride solution with 250 units of soluble insulin
(infusion pump/flow meter)
A 500 ml of 0.9% sodium chloride solution with 25 units of soluble insulin
(7 drop/min = 1 unit/hr )
- Dose adjustment by monitoring RBS hourly
17
18. Rate of VRIII
Initial dose and subsequent adjustment can be done according
to variable scale depending on RBS level and response to
insulin as follow.
Capillary blood
glucose
Reduced Rate Standard Rate Increased Rate
< 70 mg/dl Inpatient hypoglycemia
policy
Inpatient
hypoglycemia policy
Inpatient hypoglycemia
policy
70-109 mg/dl 0 unit 0 unit 0 unit
110-144 mg/dl 0.5 unit 1 unit 2 units
145-214 mg/dl 1 unit 2 units 4 units
215-289 mg/dl 2 units 4 units 6 units
290-360 mg/dl 3 units 5 units 7 units
361-435 mg/dl 4 units 6 units 8 units
> 435 mg/dl 5 units 8 units 10 units
19. Rate of VRIII
Reduced rate - insulin sensitive patients (i.e. < 24 unit/day),
lean or elderly patients or low basal or meal insulin doses
Standard rate - use unless otherwise indicated
Increased rate - insulin resistant patient (i.e. >100 unit/day),
patient on steroids, TPN, or tube feeding
or high basal or meal insulin doses
19
20. Substrate infusion
Fluids to run alongside the VRIII
5 -10 % dextrose water 500 ml and 10 mmol of KCl at a rate of 40
ml/hr
Check serum potassium daily
If K+ >5.5 mmol/L No KCl
If K+ 3.5-5.5 mmol/L 10 mmol of KCl
If K+ < 3.5 mmol/L 20 mmol of KCl
20
21. Discontinuation of insulin infusion
Patient tolerating at least 50% of normal oral intake
or enteral feeding
1 or 2 hours before discontinuing the insulin infusion,
initiate alternative glycemic management
21
27. Risk factors for diabetes nephropathy
Hypertension
Hyperglycemia
Microalbuminuria
Duration of diabetes
Family history
Ethnicity
Cigarette smoking
Hyperlipidemia
27
28. Screening for microalbuminuria
Test for microalbuminuria annually in all type 2 diabetes
subjects starting at diagnosis
Type 1 diabetes of more than 5 years duration
Methods
Measurement of the albumin to creatinine ratio in a random spot
collection
24 h collection with creatinine, allowing the simultaneous
measurement of creatinine
Timed collection
28
29. DM Nephropathy
presence of dipstick +ve proteinuria in a
person with diabetes ( >300mg/day )
Incipient nephropathy
Urinary ACR 2.5 -30mg/mmol (men)
3.5-30mg/mmol (women)
Urine microalbumin 30-300 mg/24 hour
20-200microgram/min
31. CKD and anti-diabetic drugs
Biguanides – contraindicated if eGFR <30; reduce dose if eGFR is
between 30-45
Sulphonylureas are best avoided; shorter acting agents like glipizide
and gliclazide may be used in mild to moderate renal insufficiency
Repaglinide is safe in kidney failure
Glitazones and acarbose are best avoided
Sitagliptin, saxagliptin and vildagliptin can be given with dose
adjustment and linagliptin can be used without dose adjustment
Insulin is the antidiabetic agent of choice; regular insulin and rapid
acting analogues are preferred 31
32. Blood pressure control in CKD
The ADA states that all patients with diabetes should aim to
keep their BP <140/90 mm Hg
However, individuals with proteinuria may be candidates for
tighter BP control, if this can be achieved without significant
side effects
Drugs blocking the Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone System
(RAAS) are the antihypertensive agents of choice.
ACEI or ARB : should be the first choice
ACEI can be used even serum creatinine rise above 200 mg/dl
providing that patient is planned for dialysis
Dual therapy is not advisable because of hyperkalemia
32
33. Others
Protein restriction can reduce hyperfiltration and
intraglomerular pressure
0.8mg/kg/day RDA is recommended by ADA
Salt restriction is advisable
Avoid nephrotoxic drugs, eg : NSAID
Stop smoking
Aggressive treatment of UTI
Lipid lowering therapy : Statins can reduce CVD risk but
reduce dose of rosuvastatin
Refer to Nephrologist if EGFR < 45 and Joint care is utmost
important
33