Nursing management of the person with diabetes mellitus. Part 2

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a syndrome of a relative or absolute lack of insulin resulting in hyperglycaemia. Patients with type 1 diabetes need insulin to regulate their blood glucose levels, while for patients with type 2 diabetes, weight loss and dietary management may be sufficient in controlling blood glucose levels (Porth, 2005). People from black and ethnic minority groups are six time more likely to develop the condition than their white counterparts (Department of Health, 2005a). Department of Health guidelines (2005a) give clear guidelines for healthcare workers in caring for patients with diabetes. There is no known cure for diabetes, however management of patients with diabetes include dietary management, physical activity, oral antidiabetic agents and insulin regimen. Care can also be complex as some of the patients may suffer from other long-term conditions, such as coronary artery disease. Part 2 of this article discusses the nurse's need to adhere to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidelines (2002a, 2004) in the management for type 1 and type 2 diabetes.