Need for Indian Guidelines

An alarmingly rising prevalence of diabetes has been reported. According to the recent studies, 62.4 million Indians are affected with diabetes. By 2030, the prevalence of diabetes among Indians is projected to reach 87 million.

Insulin remains the mainstay of treatment in diabetesand about 1.2 million Indians depend on insulin injections for the management of diabetes.However, incorrect technique of injecting insulin may increase the risk of poor glycemic control.

Also, improper use or reuse of injection devices, such as needles, may lead to undesirable consequences including pain with bleeding and bruising, breaking off and lodging under the skin, contamination, dosage inaccuracy, and lipohypertrophy. Appropriate injection technique is, thus, an indispensable part of diabetes management.

Recommendations or consensus statements, that suit the local needs of developed countries are available. But such recommendations or consensus statements have not addressed certain issues prevailing in developing countries such as India. Some of these issues are enlisted below.

1. Guideline specific health care practices,
2. Adequate patient counseling,
3. Training to health care professionals,
4. Development of cost-effective health care techniques,
5. Awareness regarding appropriate health care devices.