Glucose control in critically ill patients: A single-center cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: The global burden of diabetes is alarmingly increasing. These patients constitute a distinct hospitalized group requiring specialized care. Hospitals should strive for the best standards of care (namely, glucometrics) to optimize inpatient blood glucose. Our study aims to assess the quality of blood glucose control in critically ill inpatients. Methods: Eighty-five consecutive patients admitted to our hospital were prospectively followed up for their entire hospital stay or up to 7 days, whichever came first. Each patient's blood glucose measurement was recorded according to ward protocol. Indices included total blood glucose per ward, per patient-day, or patient-stay, and percentage blood glucose levels per predefined cut points to assess the incidence of hypo-, eu- and hyperglycemia. The trial registration number at Clinicaltrials.org is NCT04800861. Results: Total data consisted of 645 blood glucose tests out of 85 patients and 284 patient-day results, with an average of 2.27 tests per patient-day and 7.59 measurements per patient stay. The percentage of blood glucose in the range (80–180 mg/dL) was different per model, with patient-day showing the highest results of (48.24%) while the percentage of patients with hypoglycemia (blood glucose<60mg/dL) was highest per patient stay (1.18%). Conclusions: Patients whose glucose levels were within 80–180 are less than 50% in our cohort. Actions need to be put in place urgently.