Diabetic patients often ask, “Why am I being hospitalized? Is my condition so serious? Why do I need hospitalization?”
In fact, in the treatment of diabetes you need to follow the principle of an individual approach. In order to determine whether a patient needs hospitalization, first of all, it is necessary to evaluate his current state of health, economic and psychological condition of the patient.
Situations in which hospitalization is recommended
- Clarification of the diagnosis of diabetes
If the patient has recently been diagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, then hospitalization is recommended to conduct a comprehensive examination, confirm the diagnosis, determine the type of diabetes, and study possible complications of diabetes and other concomitant diseases. In addition, hospitalization is necessary for the development of a reasonable treatment plan, real-time observation of the therapeutic effect of the treatment, as well as in order to teach the patient how to live with diabetes, to introduce the basics of the patient’s new life.
- Patients with diabetes on insulin therapy
Hospitalization is recommended for all cases of type 1 diabetes and some patients with severe type 2 diabetes who require insulin treatment. This measure makes it possible for the doctor to conduct full monitoring, examination in order to determine the best type of insulin and its dose. Patients with insulin injections will have to master the technology of self-monitoring of blood glucose levels, be able to adjust the dose of insulin based on the results of self-monitoring of blood glucose levels.
Emergency and non-eccentric hospital admissions
- Emergency:
Patients with acute complications of diabetes mellitus: diabetic ketoacidosis, diabetic hyperosmolar coma, lactic acidosis, hypoglycemic coma.
Acute stressful situations: acute infections, surgery, trauma, stroke, bleeding, childbirth, myocardial infarction.
These hospitalization cases, as a rule, have an acute onset, rapid development, and high mortality. If medical care is not provided in a timely manner or inappropriate treatment is selected, such situations can be life-threatening for patients, so outpatient or home treatment is not acceptable. Patients should be hospitalized; treatment should be aimed at relieving symptoms and saving lives.
- Non-emergency hospitalization cases:
Patients with severe chronic complications of diabetes: severe diabetic nephropathy, diabetic retinal hemorrhage and neuropathy. The purpose of hospitalization of such patients is a thorough examination, the doctor develops an individual treatment plan, monitors the effect of treatment. Unstable blood sugar: high blood sugar, low blood sugar or unstable glucose for a long time, changes in other indicators in patients with sugar diabetes. The purpose of such hospitalization is careful monitoring and a comprehensive examination of the patient, determining the possible causes of poor glycemic control and adjusting the treatment plan, selecting the optimal treatment plan. During hospitalization, it is necessary to eliminate the cause of high blood sugar or fluctuations in glucose, and also to establish control over the level of glycemia.
Two other special cases where hospitalization may be required
- Firstly, ignorance, which can lead to serious consequences.
Many patients, especially young people, feel and behave as if they are completely healthy and do not need hospitalization. But often, such patients do not take their medications, do not regularly monitor blood glucose levels, as a result of which blood sugar control on oral hypoglycemic drugs becomes not effective enough and insulin therapy has to be started. This leads to various complications and the progression of the disease, and, ultimately, to hospitalization.
In fact, if the patient follows the doctor’s recommendations, hospitalization will bring many benefits. Due to the limited time of contact between the doctor and the patient on an outpatient appointment, many problems cannot be resolved. Only after the patient has been in the clinic for some time, many questions will be clarified, the type of diabetes will be clarified, and individual treatment will be selected.
- Secondly, fear and panic in patients.
In patients, especially the elderly, blood sugar levels can fluctuate greatly due to anxiety for their condition, fear and panic. The doctor will be able to smooth out negative emotions properly.
During hospitalization, the doctor, in addition to conducting a glycemic control program, will directly communicate with patients. Patients will also communicate with each other, sharing experience and knowledge. This will help the patient reduce stress and gain confidence in the future.