Clinical Inertia in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus type 2 in a Family Medicine Unit in Acapulco Guerrero, Mexico

Abstract

Objective: to determine the clinical inertia in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2. Methods: analytical and cross-sectional study from July to December 2016. It included 345 patients who attended consultation in the Family Medicine Unit no. 26 in Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico, who presented a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus type 2. Some figures of blood pressure, weight and body mass index were taken from their clinical records; glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides and creatinine from the laboratory tests. The medical notes were analyzed, after the laboratory tests, and it was assessed if the doctor established any change in the management of patients where there was lack of metabolic control. Results: of the 345 surveyed patients, 288 (83.47%) showed lack of control in some metabolic variable; 33 patients (9.6%) had uncontrolled blood pressure; 156 (45.2%) were overweight; 199 (57.7%) there was uncontrolled glycemic; 111 (32.2%) had figures of total cholesterol higher than 200 mg/dl; in 192 (55.7%) triglycerides were higher than 150 mg/dl; and four (1.2%) had less than 15ml/min/1.73m2 glomerular filtration. It was determined clinical inertia in 103 patients (35.8%) with metabolic disorder. Conclusion: the majority of the analyzed patients in this study presented lack of control in some metabolic variable, while clinical inertia was applied to one of every three patients with metabolic disorder. Educational and intervention strategies should be generated in order to mitigate these problems in the Family Physician clinical work.