24 Apr 10
Posted in Glucose control at 1:00 by Laci
By M Hoekstra, M Vogelzang, E Verbitskiy and M Nijsten
Critical Care 2010, 14:404
In the recently published work of Juneja and colleagues the authors describe the excellent results of a computerized insulin dosing algorithm (Clarian GlucoStabilizer™). To prevent hypoglycemia, however, the authors note that frequent (that is, hourly) measurements are required. We believe that, with an adequate algorithm, the required level of glucose control can be reached without hourly glucose measurements.
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25 Nov 09
Posted in Critical Care, Glucose control at 6:35 by Laci
By Y Arabi, H Tamim, A Rishu
Critical Care Medicine 2009;37:2536-2544
To examine the predisposing factors for hypoglycemia in medical-surgical intensive care unit patients treated with intensive insulin therapy and to assess its association with mortality.
Design
Nested-cohort study within a randomized controlled trial.
Setting
Tertiary care intensive care unit.
Participants
Medical-surgical intensive care unit patients with admission blood glucose of >6.1 mmol/L or 110 mg/dL who were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial comparing intensive insulin therapy with conventional insulin therapy.
Interventions
None.
Exposure
Hypoglycemia was defined as blood glucose <=2.2 mmol/L or 40 mg/dL and intensive care unit mortality was the primary outcome.
Measurements and main results
Among the 523 patients included in the study, hypoglycemia occurred in 84 (16%). Intensive insulin therapy was independently associated with increased risk of hypoglycemia (adjusted odds ratio, 50.65; 95% confidence interval, 17.36-147.78; p < .0001). Other variables associated with an increased risk of hypoglycemia included female gender, diabetes, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II, mechanical ventilation, continuous veno-venous hemodialysis, and intensive care unit length of stay. When adjusted to potential confounders, hypoglycemia was not significantly associated with increased mortality (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.31; 95% confidence interval, .70-2.46; p = .40). Patients with admission blood glucose of <=10 mmol/L had an increased mortality with hypoglycemia (adjusted hazard ratio, 4.43; 95% confidence interval, 1.36-14.44; p = .01). Crude analysis showed significant association of mortality with blood glucose levels of <=1.2 mmol/L (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.92; 95% confidence interval, 1.05-8.11; p = .04). When adjusted analysis was performed, similar trend was seen but was not statistically significant (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.56; 95% confidence interval, .85-7.70; p = .10).
Conclusions
Our study showed significant increase of hypoglycemia with intensive insulin therapy. Although hypoglycemia was not independently associated with increased risk of death, increased mortality could not be excluded with severe hypoglycemia and in patients admitted with blood glucose of <=10 mmol/L.
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16 Nov 09
Posted in Glucose control, Monitoring at 4:00 by Laci
By I Meynaar, M van Spreuwel, P Tangkau, L Dawson, S Visser, L Rijks, T Vlieland
Crit Care Med 2009; 37:2691-2696
To evaluate the accuracy of the AccuChek Inform point-of-care glucose measurement device as compared with central laboratory glucose measurement.
Design
Prospective, observational study.
Setting
A ten-bed mixed closed format intensive care unit in a 500-bed general hospital. The unit has a computerized insulin protocol aiming for 81 to 135 mg/dL.
Patients
All intensive care unit patients were eligible.
Interventions
None.
Measurements and main results
Paired samples (AccuChek glucose in whole blood calibrated to give whole blood results and central laboratory glucose in serum) were taken simultaneously. In 32 critically ill patients, we obtained the following information: mean ± standard deviation age 71.6 ± 11.9 yrs; mean Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score at admission 17.8 ± 6.7; 239 paired samples were taken from arterial catheters. Mean AccuChek whole blood glucose was 126 ± 36 mg/dL (7.0 ± 2.0 mmol/L); mean central laboratory serum glucose was 137 ± 38 mg/dL (7.6 ± 2.1 mmol/L). Mean difference was 11 mg/dL (0.61 mmol/L) (8%) (95% Confidence Interval = 9-13 mg/dL, p < .001). ISO 15197 guideline requires 95% of point-of-care measurements to be within 15 mg/dL margins with reference <75 mg/dL or within 20% if reference is higher. In total, 216 (90.4%) of AccuChek measurements were within ISO 15197 margins. Because AccuChek was calibrated to give whole blood results, we calculated a correction factor of 1.086 from the two mean values to correct whole blood AccuChek into serum-like results. This is almost the same as the correction factor of 1.080 given by Roche Diagnostics. By multiplying AccuChek whole blood results with 1.086, 225 (94.1%) of results were within the ISO 15197 margins. Hematocrit did not influence AccuChek results in the 0.20 to 0.44 range. Beyond this range, there were not enough data to draw conclusions.
Conclusions
In critically ill patients, the accuracy of AccuChek glucose measurement calibrated to give serum-like results with blood samples derived from arterial catheters is acceptable but falls short by about 1% of complying with the ISO 15197 guideline.
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29 Mar 09
Posted in Glucose control at 0:08 by Laci
By D E Griesdale, R J de Souza, R M van Dam, D K Heyland, D J Cook, A Malhotra, R Dhaliwal, W R Henderson, D R Chittock, S Finfer, D Talmor
CMAJ 2009;180:821-827
Hyperglycemia is associated with increased mortality in critically ill patients. Randomized trials of intensive insulin therapy have reported inconsistent effects on mortality and increased rates of severe hypoglycemia. We conducted a meta-analysis to update the totality of evidence regarding the influence of intensive insulin therapy compared with conventional insulin therapy on mortality and severe hypoglycemia in the intensive care unit (ICU).
Methods
We conducted searches of electronic databases, abstracts from scientific conferences and bibliographies of relevant articles. We included published randomized controlled trials conducted in the ICU that directly compared intensive insulin therapy with conventional glucose management and that documented mortality. We included in our meta-analysis the data from the recent NICE-SUGAR (Normoglycemia in Intensive Care Evaluation — Survival Using Glucose Algorithm Regulation) study.
Results
We included 26 trials involving a total of 13 567 patients in our meta-analysis. Among the 26 trials that reported mortality, the pooled relative risk (RR) of death with intensive insulin therapy compared with conventional therapy was 0.93 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.83–1.04). Among the 14 trials that reported hypoglycemia, the pooled RR with intensive insulin therapy was 6.0 (95% CI 4.5–8.0). The ICU setting was a contributing factor, with patients in surgical ICUs appearing to benefit from intensive insulin therapy (RR 0.63, 95% CI 0.44–0.91); patients in the other ICU settings did not (medical ICU: RR 1.0, 95% CI 0.78–1.28; mixed ICU: RR 0.99, 95% CI 0.86–1.12). The different targets of intensive insulin therapy (glucose level ≤ 6.1 mmol/L v. ≤ 8.3 mmol/L) did not influence either mortality or risk of hypoglycemia.
Interpretation
Intensive insulin therapy significantly increased the risk of hypoglycemia and conferred no overall mortality benefit among critically ill patients. However, this therapy may be beneficial to patients admitted to a surgical ICU.
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