Diabetes mellitus type 2 - check up
Check-up for diabetes mellitus type 2
As a diabetes mellitus patient, you undergo regular check-ups with your GP and/or assistant GP. You will receive notice of these check-ups from your hospital’s laboratory. This brochure gives you information on the procedure followed during the check-ups.
General
For diabetes patients, it is important to achieve a normal blood sugar level in order to reduce the chances of symptoms and complications. This is why it is essential that you are examined on a regular basis, so that treatment can be adjusted if necessary.
The collaborative hospital laboratories (Bronovo Hospital, Haga Teaching Hospital, MCH (Antoniushove en Westeinde Hospitals) and the Huisartsen Kring Haaglanden (National General Practitioners’ Association, The Hague and District), of which your GP is a member, have agreed on a new method for examining diabetes patients. This means that the check-up is better organised as far as you are concerned.
Check-up procedure
Your GP has requested a hospital (Bronovo, Haga or MCH) to call you up for examination four times a year:
- a comprehensive annual check-up
- as well as a check-up every 3 months.
| All check-ups should be carried out in the hospital that has called you up. |
1. Annual check-up
The annual check-up will be carried out in the month of your birth. This is a comprehensive check-up, including blood, urine and eye tests and an examination carried out by your GP.
The blood and urine tests
check your blood-sugar (glucose) level, amongst other things. A satisfactory blood-sugar level taken when you are fasting is between 4 and 7 mmol/l. For the first two hours after your meal, it should be between 4 and 10 mmol/l.
| Please note: You should be fasting when the blood and urine tests are carried out. This means that you may not eat or drink anything after midnight the night before. You should, however, only take your diabetes medication after your blood has been drawn. |
The annual eye test consists of taking a fundus photograph (photo of the retina). This eye test is necessary because people with diabetes mellitus run more risk of damage to the smallest blood vessels in the retina. During this test, two photos will be taken of the fundus in both your eyes. Prior to the test, you will be given eye drops in both eyes to enlarge the pupils.
Sometimes, prior to the test, you will be given eye drops to enlarge the pupils. This will make your eyes sensitive to light, and your vision will be blurred which can make it difficult to take part in traffic.
We also recommend you:
- to bring sunglasses with you if the sun is shining.
- if you wear contact lenses, to bring a lens holder and your glasses. You will not be able to wear your lenses for 30 minutes.
The test will take about 15 minutes (30 minutes incl. eye drops). The results of the test will e sent to your GP.
2. Three-monthly check-up
Besides the annual check-up, you will also be called up for a blood test every three months. When you receive this, please make an appointment for a check-up with the diabetes nurse or your GP.
When you come for the blood test, it is important that you are fasting. This test must be carried out one week before your visit to the diabetes nurse or your GP, so that they know the results beforehand.
Finally
If, for any reason, you are unable to make an appointment for a check-up after being called up, you will receive a second call-up after three weeks. If you are still unable to undergo the check-up, your GP will be informed and will contact you.
If you change your GP, please make sure you inform your new GP of the check-ups and the procedure.
If you have any further questions after reading this brochure, please ask your GP, or the laboratory at your hospital at the following numbers:
+31 (0)70 - 312 41 89 Bronovo Hospital
+31 (0)70 - 210 25 60 Haga Teaching Hospital
+31 (0)70 - 330 22 69 MCH Hospital
For more information on diabetes mellitus, please contact the Diabetesvereniging Nederland (Netherlands Diabetes Association) on the Diabetes Line: +31 (0)33 - 463 05 66 or www.dvn.nl/
Bronovo Hospital
Bronovolaan 5
2597 AX The Hague
The Netherlands
Tel. +31 (0)70 - 312 41 41
www.bronovo.nl
Haga Teaching Hospital
Leyweg 275
2545 CH The Hague
The Netherlands
Tel. +31 (0)70 - 210 00 00
www.hagaziekenhuis.nl
MCH Hospital
Lijnbaan 32
2512 VA The Hague
The Netherlands
Tel. +31 (0)70 - 330 20 00
www.mchaaglanden.nl
Check-ups for diabetes mellitus patients
This is a collaborative project initiated by the Huisartsen Kring Haaglanden (National General Practitioners’ Association) and the laboratories of the three hospitals in The Hague
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Edition: February 2012/343