Medical Malpractice in the Treatment of Diabetes: The Importance of Normal Blood Sugar

Medical Malpractice in the Treatment of Diabetes

The cornerstone of preventing the complications of diabetes is maintaining a patient's hour-by-hour blood sugar as close as possible to that of a nondiabetic. High levels of blood sugar are poison to the body's blood vessels, particularly the tiny blood vessels that feed sensitive areas like the retina of the eye, the filtering system of the kidneys, and the peripheral nerves of the hands and feet.

Many diabetics are treated with insulin therapy in order to normalize their insulin levels. Anyone treated with insulin should monitor their own blood glucose daily. This has been the accepted standard of care since at least 1986, when a consensus conference convened by the National Insitutes of Health advocated daily self-monitoring. Patients who learn about the toll on their bodies from poor blood sugar and who are properly educated by their doctor nearly always do a good job of regulating their blood sugar.

To monitor a patient's blood sugar level, a doctor should perform a blood test on the glycosylated hemoglobin, or hemoglobin A1c, which measures the percentage of hemoglobin in the blood that is attached to molecules of sugar. This is a very accurate measure of the patient's average blood-sugar levels over the previous six weeks. [See HBA1c to blood sugar conversion chart]

Legal Consultation If you or a family member has suffered a serious, permanent injury related to poor diabetes care, you may want to talk to a lawyer. Blindness, amputation and kidney failure are some of the injuries that could qualify for a legal case. We provide free and confidential consultations to help determine if you have a valid malpractice case. Contact us with this form to provide basic information to get the process started:
Name of injured person:

Your name (if different):

Phone number:

Address:

City:	State:	Zip code:

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Type of injury suffered:

Please describe injuries suffered:

When was the injury first diagnosed?

When was diabetes first diagnosed?

Please describe your major concerns with the quality of the medical care:

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