Perioperative Glucose Control and Infection Risk in the Elderly Population

Perioperative Glucose Control And Infection Risk In The Elderly Population
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Perioperative Glucose Control and Infection Risk in the Elderly Population
Goals
This study aims to determine the cause and the best ways of controlling hyperglycemia in postoperative older patients.
Abstract
The aging society is resulting in more cases of surgical procedures done on the older population. Concurrently, medical care standards are being monitored closely as surgical site contamination outcomes are extensively assessed. There is evidence claiming that severe surgical operative restriction of serum glucose in diabetic or non-diabetic patients can reduce the infection risks. It is, however, vague not clear on whether to use the control on older patients. This paper will review the current research on operative blood sugar control on colorectal/genera/orthopedic and cardiothoracic surgery. The paper will further look at clinical recommendations and quality care process indicators issued y generic, diabetes, and surgical medical organizations.
Literature Review
The improvement of life expectancy across the world has led to significant growth in several performed surgeries on the older population. Over 35% of the surgeries are performed 65 years and above, as this percentage is expected to grow in years to come. The surgical fields with specifically elevated presumptions for increased usage are orthopedic and cardiothoracic surgical procedures performed mostly on older people (Etzioni et al., 2003), (Kuehn et al., 2016). Prevention and control of surgical complications like surgical infections at the site (SSIs) are becoming significantly crucial as surgical operations increase in number.
SSIs are the common infections brought about by health care procedures accounting for a third of all infections. The study further shows that SSIs are very costly because they result in prolonged hospitalization with high death rates (Award, 2002) (Award, 2002). The SSIs cause over 8,200 deaths every year in America (McGarry et al., 2004). These infections in older individuals cause a more extended hospitalization period. For example, SSIs caused by Staphylococcus aureus cause five times more mortalities and twice more the postoperative hospitalization period of older patients with no SSIs.
Diabetes and age are two significant risk aspects for SSIs. Aging is related to high diabetes pervasiveness (Kaye et al., 2005), (Cheadle, 2006). Adult-onset diabetes (T2D) is one of the ubiquity persistent illnesses in the United States, affecting more than 13.7% of people 45-64 years of age and more than 0.25 of adults aged over 65 (Olokoba et al., 2012). An additional 50% of those aged 65 and above at risk of acquiring diabetes (Olokoba et al., 2012). Therefore, it is vital to research how best these infection rates among the older population can be put under control.
Assessment Tools
Hyperglycemia occurs commonly in severely ill patients with or without diabetes. It is risky in postoperative infection in several surgery procedures if uncontrolled (Olsen et al., 2008), (Rizvi et al., 2010). The physiological pressure reaction to surgery leads to a change in t...