Awareness of Complications of Diabetes Mellitus among Diabetic patients

Aim: To assess the awareness of complications of diabetes mellitus in diabetic patients in our population Study design: Descriptive study Place and duration of study: Patients of diabetes mellitus who came to out-patient department (0PD) of Akhtar Saeed Trust Hospital were included in the study and total duration of study was 3 months. Methodology: A cross-sectional study on adults in Lahore,Pakistan in Akhtar Saeed Trust Hospital was conducted and patients were included after taking consent from patients. A structured questionnaire was used to assess the knowledge of diabetes and capillary blood screening tests were performed to detect the diabetes. Basic questions regarding awareness of diabetes and its complications were included in the questionnaire. Results: Among diabetic population,83%had poor knowledge about fasting blood glucose level, 88 % about random blood glucose level and 80% about HBA1c. Moreover, the poor awareness about complications like peripheral vascular disease was 76%, peripheral neuropathy 61%,stroke 58%,nephropathy 53%,leg amputation 50% and eye complicationswas 41%. Conclusion: Below average knowledge about normal diabetic control levels and its complications suggests us to launch a knowledge base campaign among diabetic people by doctors and diabetic educators.