Prevalence, burden and treatment response of diabetic peripheral neuropathy among attendees of the Diabetic Clinic in the Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital

Abstract

Introduction Longstanding diabetes is associated with complications in vital organs of the body. The disease, particularly when poorly controlled, affects the patient's neurological functions. Many studies have shown that almost 50% of individuals affected with diabetes are suffering from diabetic neuropathy. 1 DPN is defined as the presence of symptoms and/or signs of peripheral nerve dysfunction in patients with diabetes after excluding other causes of neurological dysfunction. 2 According to a review on diabetic polyneuropathy by Dyck et al, DPN is further subdivided into probable and possible DPN based on the presence of specific signs and symptoms. 3 Objective To assess the burden of diabetic peripheral neuro-pathy (DPN) and response to standard treatment regimens among diabetic clinic attendees in the Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital in 2015. Specific objectives • To estimate the prevalence of DPN among patients attending the diabetic clinic • To describe the common clinical presentations of DPN • To describe how activities of daily life of patients are affected due to DPN • To assess the effectiveness of available pharmacotherapy on alleviating symptoms of DPN Methodology Study design: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted for a period of 15 weeks (15 clinic days) starting from 2nd April 2015. During the study period, a sample of 235 consecutive diabetic patients attending the clinic was selected for the study. Other causes which could lead to peripheral neuropathy were excluded by looking into their habits and past medical, surgical and drug history. Patients with dementia,