Abstract

ZAPATA AGUDELO, Eliana María et al. Characterization of diabetic patients undergoing dialysis at Hospital Universitario San Vicente de Paúl, in Medellín, Colombia. Iatreia [online]. 2005, vol.18, n.4, pp.396-404. ISSN 0121-0793.

INTRODUCTION: Worldwide, diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the main causes of renal insufficiency. However, very few Latin American and Colombian studies on the subject have been published. Dialyzed diabetic patients suffer from complications more frequently than their non-diabetic counterparts. Besides, many complications associated with DM are already present before the beginning of dialysis. PURPOSE: To characterize diabetic patients undergoing dialysis at an university hospital in Medellín, Colombia. METHODOLOGY: A cross sectional descriptive study was carried out including all patients registered in the dialysis program on May 31, 2003 at the Renal Unit of Hospital Universitario San Vicente de Paúl. A semistructured questionnaire was used to collect clinical and laboratory information from the patient's records. RESULTS: Out of 396 dialysis patients, 102 (25.7%) had the diagnosis of diabetic nephropathy which, in 15.3% of them, had been made less than five years before the beginning of this study. Two hundred and eighteen patients were on hemodialysis and 178, on peritoneal dialysis; 65 of the former (29.8%) and 37 of the latter (20.8%) were diabetic. Complete information was obtained from 64 and 34, respectively, for a total of 98 patients (57 men [58.2%] and 41 women [41.8%]). Their average time on dialysis was 1.53 years. DM type 2 was diagnosed in 88 patients (89.8%). High blood pressure was found in 92 patients (93.9%), overweight in 47 (47.9%), total cholesterol above 180 mg/dL in 58.2%, triglycerides above 150 mg/dL in 55.1%, retinopathy in 79.6%, total or partial blindness due to DM in 25.5%, neuropathy in 62.2%, and cardiovascular disease in 84.6%. A majority of patients were not fulfilling self-care recommendations. CONCLUSIONS: Diabetic nephropathy, most frequently due to type 2 DM, is the main cause of renal insufficiency at our Renal Unit. Diagnosis is often delayed and complications are the rule. It would be important to establish educational and intervention programs to promote self-care conducts and healthy life styles, with participation of a multidisciplinary group, in order to improve the quality of life of these patients.

Keywords : diabetes mellitus; diabetic nephropathy; dyalisis.

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