The Internationally renowned Endocrine Physician Dr. Banshi Saboo from Ahmedabad lectured on’ Initiation and Intensification of Insulin therapy’ and Dr. Jothydev Kesavadev spoke on ‘Diabetes in Critical Care: Controversies and Consensus’ and Dr.K.M. Prasanna Kumar Endocrinologist, Bangalore lectured on ‘Diagnosis and Management of Gestational Diabetes’ at the prestigious Jothydev’s Diabetes Centre Professional Education Forum(JPEF) CME at Uday Samudra, Kovalam,Trivandrum on April 5,2013.

Dr.Banshi Saboo explained on the benefits of newer analog insulins when compared to older human insulins. The newer medications though more expensive, studies have shown to lower chances for low sugars, reduces the need for hospitalizations and eventually reduce the cost of treating diabetes and its complications.

Dr.K.M. Prasanna Kumar Endocrinologist and senior expert in the area spoke on diabetes in pregnancy. Even minimal increases in blood sugars in pregnancy will have lethal consequences on the baby. Apart from abortions and congenital malformations prevention of onset of future diabetes in the offspring is of paramount importance. Diabetes has to be tested upon immediately after detection of pregnancy. International approved guidelines allow us only to use insulin when diet and exercise is insufficient in pregnancy with diabetes.

Dr. Jothydev Kesavadev explained during his lecture that the stress of an injury or surgery or heart attack can also lead onto development of high sugars even in the absence of known diabetes. High blood sugar in the ICU has a linear relationship with probability of dying and prolongs the hospital stay in others. The treatment of hyperglycaemia in the Critical Care Units had always been a controversy. Recently, the international scientific organizations have agreed upon maintaining the blood sugars in ICU between 140 and 180 mg/dl.

Intravenous insulin infusion with validated protocols is the preferred treatment to keep the sugars below 180 mg/dl. More intensive lowering may be beneficial but only when highly trained nurses are available. Otherwise too much lowering of to sugars below 110mg% will also increase the chances of dying in the ICU. The gathering was of about 200 doctors nationwide at Jothydev’s Diabetes Research Centre Professional Education Forum(JPEF) organized by P. Kesavadev Trust at Trivandrum.

In the panel discussion which followed Dr. Arun Shankar, Dr. Shyam Sundar, Dr.S.Krishnan Kumar, Dr.Santhamma Mathew, Dr.Madusudanan Nair, Dr. Ramesan Pillai, Dr. Ramachandran etc. participated. JPEF is an initiative by P.Kesavadev Trust to disseminate and share information, on the updated treatment of diabetes every month among various professionals involved in diabetes management.

Dr.Banshi Saboo is the organising Chairperson of the World Congress of Diabetes to be held in Kochi from April 18 to 21, this month. This will be one of the biggest Diabetes Scientific conventions ever held in India with more than 3000 national and international delegates and speakers. He announced that major consensus treatment guidelines for Indian Physicians on various aspects of diabetes will be published at the DiabetesIndia World Congress.