[Preoperative assessment of patients with diabetes mellitus]

The perioperative morbidity of diabetic patients is related to preoperative end-organ damage. Due to the microvascular pathology, autonomic neuropathy is common and cardiovascular abnormalities such as hypertension, painless myocardial ischemia, and orthostatic hypotension may predispose patients to perioperative cardiovascular instability. Autonomic dysfunction also contributes to delayed gastric emptying, and preoperative administration of a histamine antagonist and a gastric emptying agent is needed. Chronic hyperglycemia leads to glycosylation of tissue proteins and the accumulation of abnormal collagen can cause stiff joint syndrome resulting in difficult tracheal intubation. The primary goal of pre and intraoperative blood glucose control is to avoid hypoglycemia and ketosis. Moreover, the tight glycemic control has been reported to improve survival in critically ill patients who were treated in the intensive care unit.