Comparative evaluation of quality of diabetes care within a population using discrete HbA1c thresholds versus longitudinal trends within a defined time period.

Background: HbA1c is a quality measurement for a population's diabetes care. Currently, discrete values are used to judge the care quality. However, an improved trend may have been achieved without reaching a discrete threshold.

Hypertriglyceridaemia-induced pancreatitis.

Hypertriglyceridaemia is the third most common cause of acute pancreatitis but is relatively rare and therefore requires a high level of clinical suspicion to be diagnosed. We discuss the case of a 46-year-old man who initially presented to the accident and emergency department with suspected first presentation of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and a normal amylase but who did not respond to DKA treatment. Further history revealed significant cardiovascular risk factors, examination showed an evidence of hyperlipidaemia and investigations revealed acute pancreatitis secondary to hypertriglyceridaemia.

Severe and disabling diabetic autonomic neuropathy: a case report.

We report a case of a woman with several and severe disabling manifestations of autonomic neuropathy in whom reasonable quality of life was established by combining continuous insulin infusion, jejunal feeding, colostomy and bladder self-catheterisation. We discuss the prevalence rates, pathophysiology, management and prognosis of this disabling condition.