Blood sugar control, ophthalmology referral and creatinine level among adult diabetic patients in Primary Health Care, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

OBJECTIVE: The objectives of the study were to review the blood sugar levels, duration of illness, referral to the Eye Clinic for Ophthalmology assessment, and basic renal function by creatinine level among adult diabetic patients in primary health care in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

METHODS: A retrospective study of medical records for diabetic adult patients at different age groups, of both sex, in 6 primary health care centers in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was carried out during the period from August 2000 to April 2001.

RESULTS: The results of this study show that the duration of diabetes were less than 10 years among 67% of diabetic adult patients, and fasting blood sugar levels were more than 10 mmol/L among 49.2% of diabetic adult patients. Glycosylated hemoglobin were recorded in 0.4% of medical records which, might be due to lack of accessibility for this laboratory test in the selected primary health care centers. Thirty point seven percent of diabetic patients were referred to ophthalmologist, and 74% of diabetic patients had creatinine level <150 mmol/L.

CONCLUSION: Improving the blood sugar control and shared care with ophthalmologists are important steps to improving the quality of diabetic care in primary health care.