Diabetes and COVID-19 guidelines reissued for second wave

Guidelines on how to look after people with diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic have been reissued to help during the second wave.

The documents, which were published in the summer on the UK Diabetes Inpatient Forum’s website, form part of a COVID-19 response pack to assist inpatient, frontline staff as coronavirus figures continue to rise.

They were drafted by the National Inpatient Diabetes COVID-19 Response Team which was set up in April to help diabetes specialist teams and those involved in delivering care to people with diabetes on the frontline.

Chaired by Professor Gerry Rayman, the clinical guidance was pulled together with insight from clinical leads across UK centres.

COVID-19, among people with or without previously recognised diabetes, increases the risk of emergency states of hyperglycaemia with ketones, Diabetic KetoAcidosis (DKA) and Hyperosmolar Hyperglycaemic State (HHS).

Being acutely unwell with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 requires adjustment to standard approaches to diabetes management.

The COVID-19 guidance document lays out clinical advice for early admissions, those who are severely unwell when admitted to hospital, all inpatient areas and ICU scenarios. As new evidence becomes available, the document will be updated. It is supported by Diabetes UK and ABCD.

To access the documents, click here.

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