Diabetes is a chronic disease in which blood glucose levels are above normal levels. In people who have diabetes, the pancreas either doesn’t make enough insulin (a hormone that helps glucose get the cells of our bodies), or it doesn’t use insulin as well as it should. This can cause sugar to build up in the blood and lead to serious health complications. High blood sugar can weaken a person’s immune system defenses. People who have had diabetes for a long time may have peripheral nerve damage and reduced blood flow to their extremities, which increases the chance for infection. High sugar levels in blood and tissues allow bacteria to grow and allow infections to develop more quickly.
This resource has been produced by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control to provide information and guidance for people who are diabetic including advice on how to reduce infection risks
It can be found at: http://apic.informz.net/informzdataservice/onlineversion/ind/bWFpbGluZ2luc3RhbmNlaWQ9NTM4MTgxNSZzdWJzY3JpYmVyaWQ9NzY3ODU4OTk0
