Impact of hyperglycemia on prognosis for patients admitted to medical intensive care units

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the impact of hyperglycemia in patients admitted to medical intensive care units(MICU)on their prognosis.Methods Medical records of 1016 patients,including 126 cases of known diabetes,359 cases with newly diagnoses hyperglycemia,and 531 normoglycemic cases,admitted to MICU in Wuhan University People's Hospital during September 2006 to September 2007 were reviewed to compare their case-fatality,length of hospital stay,length of MICU stay,mechanical ventilation,blood transfusion and antibiotics use.Results In.hospital case-fatality was 22.8%(82/359)in patients with newly-diagnosed hyperglycemia.significantly higher than that in patients with known diabetes of 12.7% (16/126)and in normoglyeemic cases of 5.1%(27/531)(P＜0.01),and that Was higher in those with diabetes than those with normal blood glucose level(P=0.002).Proportions of patients who needed mechanical ventilation,blood transfusion,antibiotics use was higher in newly diagnosed hyperglycemia group than those in the other two groups.Conclusions Hyperglycemia represents an important mal'ker of poor clinical outcomes and mortality in patients admitted tO MICU.Patients with newly diagnosed hyperglycemia had a significantly higher case-fatality and poorer outcomes than those with known diabetes or normoglyeemia. Key words: Hyperglycemia; Intensive care units; Prognosis