FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SPREAD OF INFECTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF SEPSIS IN PATIENTS WITH DIABETES MELLITUS

Diabetes mellitus causes metabolic and immunological alterations that increase susceptibility to infections and contribute to their severe course. Persistent hyperglycemia impairs immune cell function, promotes vascular damage, and delays tissue repair. Consequently, infectious foci may persist, spread into deeper tissues, and dissem­inate through the bloodstream. In patients with diabetes mellitus, sepsis is frequently associated with infected diabetic foot lesions, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and infections of the skin and soft tissues. This article discusses metabolic, immunological, and hemodynamic factors contributing to the spread of infection, the principal mecha­nisms of sepsis development, and preventive measures.