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Review Article
Guidelines for Perioperative Management of
the Diabetic Patient
Sivakumar Sudhakaran1 and Salim R. Surani2
1
Texas A&M Health Science Center, 8447 State Highway 47, Bryan, TX 77807, USA
Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Corpus Christi,
1177 West Wheeler Avenue, Suite 1, Aransas Pass, TX 78336, USA
1. Introduction
Diabetes has classically been defined as a group of metabolic
diseases characterized by hyperglycemia due to defects in
insulin secretion, insulin action, or a combination of both [1].
The vast majority of diabetic cases can be classified as either
type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is generally due
to -cell destruction leading to absolute insulin deficiency.
This form accounts for roughly 510% of diabetic cases,
and individuals at increased risk can often be identified by
evidence of autoimmune pathologic processes occurring at
the pancreatic islets [1]. Type 2 diabetes is characterized
by a progressive insulin secretory defect within a setting
of insulin resistance [2]. Approximately 9095% of diabetic
cases are type 2 [1]. Management of glycemic levels in diabetic
patients is critical, as persistent hyperglycemia may lend
itself to a number of complications including cardiovascular
disease, nephropathy, retinopathy, neuropathy, and various
foot pathologies [2].
The prevalence and diagnostic criteria for diabetes are
well defined. There are approximately 29.1 million people
with diabetes in the United States (roughly 9.3% of the
2
diabetes [7]. Tight glycemic control is becoming increasingly
recognized as a perioperative goal in surgical patients [812].
However, there is still no overall consensus on the optimal
perioperative management of the diabetic patient [1321]. In
this paper we hope to outline risk factors associated with
hyperglycemia due to diabetes in the surgical patient, as
well as review broad glucose management strategies during
surgery as well as the pre- and postoperative stages.
Table 1: Broad management goals across the perioperative timeline. Overall goals: (i) reduce patient morbidity and mortality, (ii) avoid
clinically significant hyper- or hypoglycemia, (iii) maintain acid/base, electrolyte, and fluid balance, (iv) prevent ketoacidosis, and (v) establish
blood glucose measurements less than 180 mg/dL in critical patients and less than 140 mg/dL in stable patients.
Preoperative management key points
(i) Verify target blood glucose
concentration with frequent glucose
monitoring
(ii) Use insulin therapy to maintain
glycemic goals
(iii) Discontinue biguanides, alpha
glucosidase inhibitors,
thiazolidinediones, sulfonylureas, and
GLP-1 agonists
(iv) Consider cancelling nonemergency
procedures if patient presents with
metabolic abnormalities (DKA, HHS,
etc.) or glucose reading above
400500 mg/dL
Please note that the information presented in this table has been referenced in the text.
4
insulin (NPH) with short-acting insulin twice daily or regular insulin before meals and intermediate-acting insulin at
bedtime [62]. However, if glycemic control is well managed
in a patient being treated with glargine, it is acceptable to
continue the same insulin regimen until the day of surgery
[63]. Finally, it is important to confirm the form of diabetes
present, as patients with type 1 diabetes must continue a basal
rate insulin replacement preoperatively (0.2 to 0.3 U/kg/day
of a long-acting insulin) [57].
Along with careful insulin regulation, there are a number
of oral glycemic control drugs that should be discontinued
before surgery. Biguanides (metformin) sensitize specific
tissues to insulin, mediating efficient uptake of glucose in
muscle and fat while preventing hepatic glucose formation.
Metformin usage is discontinued before surgery in the United
States and Europe due to renal function complications that
may arise intraoperatively (such as hemodynamic instability
or decreased renal perfusion), increasing the risk of lactic
acidosis [64, 65]. Alpha glucosidase inhibitors (acarbose,
miglitol) weaken the effect of oligosaccharidases and disaccharidases in the intestinal brush border, effectively lowering the absorption of glucose after meals. However, in
preoperative fasting states, this drug has no effect and thus
should be discontinued until the patient resumes eating [66].
Thiazolidinediones (pioglitazone, rosiglitazone) mechanism
of action is similar to that of metformin and however is not
associated with lactic acidosis. Nevertheless, these drugs are
generally discontinued as they are not insulin secretagogues
and may also cause fluid retention in the postoperative
phase [57, 67]. Sulfonylureas (glibenclamide, glimepiride,
and glipizide) trigger insulin production and may induce
hypoglycemia in a fasting preoperative patient. If a patient
has mistakenly taken a sulfonylurea on the day of surgery, the
operation may still be completed; however, careful glucose
monitoring is imperative and IV dextrose may be required
[65, 68]. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists (exenatide,
liraglutide) are held the day of surgery as they slow gastric motility and may delay restoration of proper gastrointestinal function during recovery. Finally, because dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors (sitagliptin, linagliptin)
work by a glucose dependent mechanism (reducing the
risk of hypoglycemia even in fasting patients) they may
be continued if necessary; however, these medications primarily reduce glycemic levels after meals and their effects
will be greatly marginalized in preoperative NPO patients
[57].
There currently exists no evidence-based guideline dictating when to cancel surgery due to hyperglycemia. As a
rule, elective surgery should not be performed on patients in
a compromised metabolic state (DKA, HHS, etc.). Although
no strict standard for surgical cancellation has been determined, the Yale New-Haven Hospital recommends postponing surgery if glucose is greater than 400 mg/dL. Similarly,
at Boston Medical Center, it is recommended to postpone
nonurgent surgical procedures if glucose is >500 mg/dL.
In the event surgical cancellation is required, physicians
should first manage any metabolic pathologies if present.
After resolution of any underlying metabolic abnormalities,
clinicians may then aim to restore blood glucose back to
5
multiply this number by the TDI/30 (150/30 = 5) to determine
the patient requires an additional 15 U of rapid acting insulin
to restore blood glucose levels back into target range. Finally,
glucose measurement during the perioperative period can
generally be completed by either central-laboratory-device
(CLD) or point-of-care (POC) devices [84]. Multiple studies
recommend avoiding the POC device for glucose management during the perioperative period, instead favoring the
use of CLD blood glucose measurements [84, 85]. A summary
of key checkpoints regarding pre-, intra-, and postoperative
glycemic control can be reviewed in Table 1.
9. Conclusion
A number of protocols defining perioperative glycemic control have been described in the literature. While clinical judgment must still be used to assess specific changes, we hope
this paper has provided greater insight into the overall goals
of glucose management during pre-, intra-, and postoperative
periods. Healthcare providers should remember that glucose
homeostasis during the perioperative period is extremely
variable; blood glucose levels as well as electrolyte and acidbase status should be carefully monitored. Physicians should
be mindful of a patients normal diabetic regimen, and
after making all necessary changes during the perioperative
period, aid the patients transition back to their normal
glycemic management protocol. In closing, through careful
perioperative glucose management, surgical complications
as well as hyper- or hypoglycemic sequelae can be reduced,
ultimately improving patient morbidity and mortality.
Conflict of Interests
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.
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