Diabetes mellitus affects 10.5% of the US population. Numerous studies have documented increased risk of complications for patients with diabetes after different types of surgery, including hand surgery. By aiming for a preoperative target hemoglobin A1c (A1c), the risk of surgical complications following elective hand surgery may be reduced for patients with diabetes. This literature review was conducted to evaluate the association between diabetes mellitus and surgical site infections and, more specifically, to determine whether there is any association between preoperative A1c level and postoperative infections in hand surgery. The risk for surgical site infections and wound complications appears to be higher for patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, but not necessarily for patients with noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, when compared with patients without diabetes. The role of prophylactic antibiotics for patients with diabetes undergoing elective hand surgery was also considered. Prophylactic antibiotics have not been shown to be beneficial for healthy patients undergoing clean, elective hand surgery. However, preoperative antibiotics may have a protective role for some patients with poorly controlled hyperglycemia.
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