Inpatient hyperglycemia management: the opportunities of a new basal insulin

Abstract

The management of hospitalized diabetic patients for any cause is often difficult and affected not only by the comorbidities of the patient but also by the hospital setting. It is well known that at the admission the antidiabetic drugs should be discontinued on behalf of insulin therapy with insulin analogues, as a function of a basal-bolus insulin approach according to the phenotype of the patient, type of nutrition (enteral or parenteral rather than oral), or concomitant hyperglycemic therapy (<em>e.g.</em>, steroid). The average stay of diabetic patients hospitalized for any cause is significantly correlated with both the number of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. Compared to patients treated with sliding scale patients using a custom algorithm show a significant reduction in the number of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia episodes and in the length of stay. We analyze the clinical profile of a novel basal insulin, degludec, and explore the potential clinical benefit for diabetic inpatient. The continuation of insulin therapy at home in the immediate post-hospitalization (if necessary), also correlates with a reduction in the rate of re-hospitalization, which combined with close follow-up diabetes can result in a reduction of chronic complications.