THE IMPACT OF HEALTH EDUCATION ON THE PREVENTION OF SURGICAL COMPLICATIONS IN DIABETIC PATIENTS

Abstract

Introduction: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a highly prevalent chronic disease associated with an increased risk of perioperative complications, such as infections, delayed wound healing, and cardiovascular events. In this context, health education stands out as an essential strategy to promote self-care and improve glycemic control, contributing to the reduction of adverse outcomes, with a relevant role for nurses in this process. However, evidence on the direct impact of these educational actions on the prevention of surgical complications in diabetic patients is still limited. Objective: To analyze the impact of health education on the prevention of surgical complications in patients with Diabetes Mellitus. Methodology: This is an integrative review, descriptive and qualitative in nature, conducted between February and March 2026, in the BVS, SciELO, and PubMed databases. The guiding question was: how does health education contribute to the prevention of surgical complications in patients with Diabetes Mellitus? The descriptors “health education”, “diabetic patients”, “surgical complications”, “prevention”, and “perioperative care” were used, combined using the Boolean operator AND. Articles published between 2020 and 2025, in Portuguese, freely available and in full, addressing the relationship between health education and the prevention of surgical complications in diabetics were included. Duplicate studies, incomplete studies, reviews, theses, dissertations, letters, protocols, and bulletins were excluded. After selection, the studies underwent exploratory, analytical, and interpretive reading. The data were organized in a table containing author, year, title, objective, and results. The analysis was performed qualitatively, identifying thematic categories. Results and Discussion: evidence was identified regarding the effectiveness of educational actions in reducing surgical complications, as well as highlighting the role of nurses and educational technologies in promoting self-care and glycemic control. It reinforces the importance of educational practices in the perioperative period and supports care strategies aimed at improving surgical outcomes and the quality of life of diabetic patients. Conclusion: It is concluded that Diabetes Mellitus represents a significant challenge for public health, especially due to complications associated with inadequate disease control. The study showed that health education and the strengthening of self-care are fundamental for the prevention of complications and improvement of quality of life. Thus, the importance of multidisciplinary action and the continuous implementation of preventive strategies in health services is highlighted.