PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Charles G Taylor, Jr AU - Mike Krimholtz AU - Kevamae C Belgrave AU - Ian Hambleton AU - Colette N George AU - Gerry Rayman TI - The extensive inpatient burden of diabetes and diabetes-related foot disease in Barbados AID - 10.7861/clinmedicine.14-4-367 DP - 2014 Aug 01 TA - Clinical Medicine PG - 367--370 VI - 14 IP - 4 4099 - http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/14/4/367.short 4100 - http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/14/4/367.full SO - Clin Med2014 Aug 01; 14 AB - In this study, we evaluated the burden and quality of adult inpatient diabetes care in Barbados. Inpatients were reviewed over 2 days to identify those with diabetes. Data were collected and analysed from identified patients, their notes and management charts using an audit methodology developed in the UK. Inpatient diabetes prevelance was found to be 42.5% (111 of 261 beds audited). Insulin-treated type 2 diabetes affected 41.8% of the patients. Diabetic foot disease accounted for 30% of admissions and 89% of diabetes-related admissions. Of the patients admitted without diabetic foot disease, 13.9% had their feet examined and 2.8% developed foot lesions during their stay. Medication errors were experienced by 41.4% of patients. We recorded the prevalence of inpatient diabetes in the English medical literature (42.5%) and this was significantly driven by diabetic foot disease. Care needs were complex and areas of potential improvement were identified.