Healthcare professionals reminded dexamethasone can impact diabetes control

By Editor
18th June 2020
Clinical guidance, Coronavirus Pharmaceutical

Healthcare professionals and people with diabetes are being reminded that taking the steroid treatment dexamethasone could impact blood glucose levels significantly. 

It has been recognised that the use of low dose dexamethasone can help save the lives of those seriously ill with coronavirus, but Trend Diabetes wants to ensure people within the diabetes community understand the complex relationship between steroids and glycaemic control.

The use of steroids in people is common, it can result in significant hyperglycaemia in people with diabetes and new onset diabetes in those previously undiagnosed

Trend Diabetes, a working group of nurses with a wide range of different skills and backgrounds, has a leaflet entitled Type 2 Diabetes and Steroid Treatment, that provides essential information on the best way to approach taking the medication and after care for people taking steroids.

In addition, the Joint British Diabetes Societies for Inpatient Care (JBDS-IP) drafted guidelines in 2014, which  focused on steroid induced hyperglycaemia and steroid induced diabetes.

The document is evidence based, where possible, but also draws upon accumulated professional knowledge and consensus agreements.

To read the full JBDS-IP document, click here.

To read a shortened document version of the JBDS-IP document, click here.

To read the Trend Diabetes document, click here.

Trend Diabetes is staging a webinar on this subject. For more information, please email emily.mayhew@ojpr.co.uk

Photo by EVG photos from Pexels

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