Diabetes mellitus is a condition that result when the body cells are unable to use or store glucose due to lack of insulin.
Normally, insulin is produced by the beta cells of the islets of Langerhans on the surface of the pancreas. Glucose is stored in the liver as glycogen and released when the body needs it for energy.
Without adequate insulin to enable that glucose to pass through cell membranes, it accumulates in the bloodstream, a condition known as hyperglycemia. It spills over into the urine, and this is called glycosuria.
Diabetes mellitus is treated by diet, oral hypoglycemics to reduce blood sugar, and insulin. Since a considerable amount of information is available on this disease, the nurse is referred to other sources for more details. The elderly diabetic presents a somewhat different picture than a diabetic who is younger.
Reference :
Farrell J : Nursing Care of the Older Person, J.B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia, 1990.
