Published online Mar 15, 2019. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v10.i3.137
Peer-review started: February 10, 2019
First decision: February 19, 2019
Revised: February 27, 2019
Accepted: March 8, 2019
Article in press: March 8, 2019
Published online: March 15, 2019
Processing time: 34 Days and 2.6 Hours
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is marked as global health care challenge with almost 10% of the United States population being diagnosed with DM. A sizeable percentage of patients are oblivious of their disease, in spite of easily accessibility knowledge about its early signs and symptoms and rapid diagnostic modalities. Critically ill patients with undiagnosed DM are likely to have an increased mortality as compared to intensive care unit (ICU) patients with diagnosed DM. DM may have adverse effect on ICU patients causing organ failure and complications. Early Screening of patients at the risk of developing disease may prevent long term complications. Early screening and management may be beneficial as controlled DM patients have similar morbidity as non DM patients in ICU. An intense glycaemic and blood pressure control improves retinopathy and albuminuria, but may not affect the macrovascular outcomes.
Core tip: Undiagnosed diabetes mellitus (DM) predisposes critically ill patients to DM complications, which may affect their morbidity and mortality during intensive care unit stay.