Guidelines for the management of diabetes in care homes during the Covid-19 pandemic

The National Diabetes Stakeholders Covid-19 Response Group was formed in early April 2020 as a rapid action by the Joint British Diabetes Societies for Inpatient Care, Diabetes UK, the Association of British Clinical Diabetologists, and Diabetes Frail to address and support the special needs of residents with diabetes in UK care homes during Covid-19. It was obvious that the care home sector was becoming a second wave of Covid-19 infection and that those with diabetes residing in care homes were at increased risk not only of susceptibility to infection but also to poorer outcomes. Its key purposes included minimising the morbidity and mortality associated with Covid-19 and assisting care staff to identify those residents with diabetes at highest risk of Covid-19 infection. The guidance was particularly created for care home managers, other care home staff, and specialist and non-specialist community nursing teams. The guidance covers the management of hyperglycaemia by discussion of various clinical scenarios that could arise, the management of hypoglycaemia, foot care and end of life care. In addition, it outlines the conditions where hospital admission is required. The guidance should be regarded as interim and will be updated as further medical and scientific evidence becomes available.

An International Position Statement on the Management of Frailty in Diabetes Mellitus: Summary of Recommendations 2017

AIM

The International Position Statement provides the opportunity to summarise all existing clinical trial and best practice evidence for older people with frailty and diabetes. It is the first document of its kind and is intended to support clinical decisions that will enhance safety in management and promote high quality care.

METHODS

The Review Group sought evidence from a wide range of studies that provide sufficient confidence (in the absence of grading) for the basis of each recommendation. This was supported by a given rationale and key references for our recommendations in each section, all of which have been reviewed by leading international experts. Searches for any relevant clinical evidence were generally limited to English language citations over the previous 15 years. The following databases were examined: Embase, Medline/PubMed, Cochrane Trials Register, Cinahl, and Science Citation. Hand searching of 16 key major peer-reviewed journals was undertaken by two reviewers (AJS and AA) and these included Lancet, Diabetes, Diabetologia, Diabetes Care, British Medical Journal, New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of the American Medical Association, Journal of Frailty and Aging, Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, and Journals of Gerontology - Series A Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences.

RESULTS

Two scientific supporting statements have been provided that relate to the area of frailty and diabetes; this is accompanied by evidence-based decisions in 9 clinical domains. The Summary has been supported by diagrammatic figures and a table relating to the inter-relations between frailty and diabetes, a frailty assessment pathway, an exercise-based programme of intervention, a glucose-lowering algorithm with a description of available therapies.

CONCLUSIONS

We have provided an up to date evidence-based approach to practical decision-making for older adults with frailty and diabetes. This Summary document includes a user-friendly set of recommendations that should be considered for implementation in primary, community-based and secondary care settings.

The role of prophylactic use of low dose aspirin and calheparin in patients with unexplained recurrent abortion

OBJECTIVE

To study the effect of prophylactic use of low dose aspirin and heparin on patients with recurrent unexplained pregnancy loss.

METHODS

Prospective case control study conducted on 180 pregnant women randomized into two equal groups. Group 1 received low-dose aspirin 75 mg and heparin 5000 IU subcutaneous every 12 h. Group 2 received no treatment.

RESULTS

There was a statistically significant difference between the two study groups regarding number of patients who completed their first trimester (66 versus 39) (p values 0.018). The outcome regarding completion of first trimester was not related to age, BMI or number of previous abortions in both the study groups. Complications of the use of aspirin calheparin occurred in 60% of the patients. The most common complication was bruising at injection site occurring in 60% of the patients followed by bleeding gums (14.4%), gastrointestinal troubles (12.2%), epistaxis (10%) and transient thrombocytopenia in only 2.22% of the patients (Table 4).

CONCLUSION

The use of prophylactic dose of calheparin and aspirin is associated with increased chance of passing 1st trimester safely regardless the age, body mass index or number of abortion in women with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion.