Intensive insulin therapy in septic shock

Abstract

The use of intensive insulin therapy (IIT) to maintain blood glucose level below 8.3 mmol/L is recommended for management of severe sepsis by the Surviving Sepsis guidelines. The recent trials reporting reduced morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients treated with IIT require careful examination, including the subsequent post-hoc analyses. An understanding of the molecular and metabolic mechanisms by which IIT may be beneficial and the evidence that it benefits patients with severe sepsis, and a review of the risks of hypoglycaemia are also necessary when deciding whether to implement IIT in severe sepsis. Patients with severe sepsis are likely to benefit from IIT based on metabolic effects and their prolonged stays in the intensive care unit. The current evidence suggests IIT should be implemented, aiming for the lowest glycaemic range that can be safely achieved while avoiding hypoglycaemia.