Abstract
AbstractThe case is presented of a 74‐year‐old lady with type 1 diabetes of 42 years' duration, who had recurrent diabetes‐related hospitalisations. These were due to both hypo‐ and hyperglycaemic emergencies and, over the last 20 years, 41 such admissions (2.0 per year) had occurred— 56% hypoglycaemic, 27% diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), and 17% with non‐ketotic hyperglycaemia. There was a close relationship between social and family crises and admissions. This patient demonstrates the unusual syndrome of ‘elderly brittle diabetes’. The mixed metabolic picture is typical of this syndrome, but the psychosocial impact on hospital admission is more commonly seen in younger female brittle patients with recurrent DKA. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
