The 9 Tests

I have read with interest on the startling fact that there are 24,000 unnecessary deaths a year due to diabetes throughout the country.
Does anybody know what the 9 tests that should be done are in relation to the diabetes care that should be done and how regular these should take place. The reason that I would like to know this is that I feel my wife was one of these patients who seemed to get less and less treatment as time went on and probably only saw her doctor or diabetic nurse 2 times in the last 12 months or so. Sadly, she passed away at the end of March this year.

I know about getting the feet checked, her eyes tested and the blood tests but what other things should have been covered?

I can recall going to see the diabetic nurse in November last year where she indicated there had been a gradual increase in the HB1AC reading. At one point it was down at something like 5.6 but it had creeped up above 7 over a period of time and although there had been signs of this happening over the last 12 months or so, it was only when it was at this level that they bothered to tell us.

She was then put on half a Gliclazide tablet with the other medication she was on and informed that a blood test would be taken in 6 weeks time and if any changes were required they would inform us once they had got the results. As I was not informed that I needed to increase the Gliclazide, this stayed at half a tablet because doing so would have been bad.

Maybe I should have followed it up to find out if I needed to alter the medication she was taking after Christmas.

Ironically, the week before she went into hospital we got a letter saying that she needed a fasting blood test which we had to wait 2 weeks to get done, then they would review the medicines for her to see if any changes were required. The blood test would have happened on the Wednesday after she died on the Monday. Call this good care for a diabetic with all this waiting.

Hal

Many thanks for that. I can't remember the last time my wife was weighed or asked if she smoked. She stopped smoking over 4 years ago. A couple not heard of which are the urinary albumin and serum creatinine.
Will have a read of the document to see if it gives me any idea as to what these are.

Hal

Hi There

She had heart problems, had heart failure in Jan 08 but recovered that time. Ended up going in hospital eating very little and she seemed fine on going in. I was informed that she would be home in a couple of day which to me was a relief.
Imagine my shock when she died the following Monday from heart failure and a heart attack. The breathing problems only came on when she was on hospital. She had been fine at home.
The indicated when I went into see them that she had high cholesterol and her blood sugars were high which was quiet amazing to me as I did all the cooking and yes she did have treats, crisps and things like that but she had been having these over the previous 4 years when at one stage her blood sugars were down at something like 5.5.
Her diet had not really changed from when it was at this level to to higher ones in the last year, it is just that we had not been given the correct information or any advice from them how we could correct this.

Hope this helps.

Hal

I did not realise that we could get a print out of the results of blood tests. Nobody had ever told us of this.

Many thanks for your replies.

Hal