Andreas E Buchs1, Micha J Rapoport. 1. Department of Medicine C and Diabetes Unit, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin, affiliated with Sackler Faculty Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Israel. andreabuchs@gmail.com
Abstract
BACKGROUND: It is currently recommended that capillary glucose levels of non-critically ill hospitalized diabetic patients be maintained at between 140 and 180 mg/dl. Implementation of these recommendations and evaluation of their effectiveness require that data regarding the glucose control of these hospitalized patients be accessible. OBJECTIVE: To analyze glucose control and monitoring of all diabetic patients hospitalized in the general medicine wards of our medical center. METHODS: Capillary glucose measurements of all diabetic patients hospitalized in our departments of medicine between June and December 2008 were recorded by a central computerized institutional glucometer. Median glucose values and frequency of daily glucose checks per patient were analyzed in the internal medicine wards. RESULTS: We evaluated 14,366 capillary measurements from 2475 patients; 43% were taken before breakfast and 25% before dinner. A median of one daily determination per patient was obtained. This number increased 1.4-fold in patients with hyperglycemia >200 mg/dl and 2.5-fold in patients with hypoglycemia. Seventy-five percent of the recorded glucose values were within the recommended target range, with a median daily level of 161 mg/dl and median fasting glucose of 142 mg/dl. A significant variance was found between wards. CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of capillary glucose measurements in diabetic patients hospitalized in general medicine wards was low; most capillary glucose values, however, were within the recommended target range. The optimal monitoring of glucose in these patients remains to be determined.
BACKGROUND: It is currently recommended that capillary glucose levels of non-critically ill hospitalized diabeticpatients be maintained at between 140 and 180 mg/dl. Implementation of these recommendations and evaluation of their effectiveness require that data regarding the glucose control of these hospitalized patients be accessible. OBJECTIVE: To analyze glucose control and monitoring of all diabeticpatients hospitalized in the general medicine wards of our medical center. METHODS: Capillary glucose measurements of all diabeticpatients hospitalized in our departments of medicine between June and December 2008 were recorded by a central computerized institutional glucometer. Median glucose values and frequency of daily glucose checks per patient were analyzed in the internal medicine wards. RESULTS: We evaluated 14,366 capillary measurements from 2475 patients; 43% were taken before breakfast and 25% before dinner. A median of one daily determination per patient was obtained. This number increased 1.4-fold in patients with hyperglycemia >200 mg/dl and 2.5-fold in patients with hypoglycemia. Seventy-five percent of the recorded glucose values were within the recommended target range, with a median daily level of 161 mg/dl and median fasting glucose of 142 mg/dl. A significant variance was found between wards. CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of capillary glucose measurements in diabeticpatients hospitalized in general medicine wards was low; most capillary glucose values, however, were within the recommended target range. The optimal monitoring of glucose in these patients remains to be determined.
Authors: Ying Chen; Shih Ling Kao; E-Shyong Tai; Hwee Lin Wee; Eric Yin Hao Khoo; Yilin Ning; Mark Kevin Salloway; Xiaodong Deng; Chuen Seng Tan Journal: BMC Med Res Methodol Date: 2016-04-08 Impact factor: 4.615