Abstract
Many medications commonly used by people with
diabetes have potential adverse effects or interactions with other
medications that can result in emergency care being required. Red flags
identifying people at high risk of such problems are renal impairment,
patient frailty, polypharmacy and nonadherence.
Article Extract
People with type 2 diabetes are often taking hypotensive and
hypolipidaemic medications and antiplatelet agents as well as
medications for their diabetes. They also may be taking other
prescription medications to treat comorbidities, using various
complementary medications and intermittently adding further medications
and/or stopping current ones. Both the polypharmacy and the changing
mixture of medications put these patients at risk of direct medication
side effects and of medication interactions, some of which can be
dangerous (Table 1).
Using two cases, this article reviews the problems that can occur from medications commonly used in type 2 diabetes – hypoglycaemic, hypotensive and hypolipidaemic medications and antiplatelet agents. ‘Red flags’ that identify patients with diabetes who are likely to have medication-induced emergencies are also discussed.
Using two cases, this article reviews the problems that can occur from medications commonly used in type 2 diabetes – hypoglycaemic, hypotensive and hypolipidaemic medications and antiplatelet agents. ‘Red flags’ that identify patients with diabetes who are likely to have medication-induced emergencies are also discussed.
