Evaluation of Basal Plus Versus Sliding Scale Insulin Therapy on Glucose Variability in Critically Ill Patients Without Preexisting Diabetes

Abstract

Background: There is limited evidence evaluating the impact of insulin treatment strategies on glucose variability in critically ill patients without preexisting diabetes.

Objective: Compare basal plus insulin (BPI) and sliding scale insulin (SSI) impact on glycemic control outcomes in critically ill patients without preexisting diabetes experiencing hyperglycemia.

Methods: This multicenter, retrospective review analyzed critically ill patients with hyperglycemia who received either BPI or SSI. Patients with a hemoglobin A1C >6.5% during the admission of interest or in the previous 3 months, or a diagnosis of diabetes at the time of discharge were excluded. The primary outcome was glucose variability during the intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Secondary outcomes included hypoglycemia frequency, frequency of goal glucose levels, mortality, and length of stay.

Results: The analysis included 228 patients (39 in BPI, 189 in SSI). Average glucose variability was higher in the BPI group compared with the SSI group (85.8 mg/dL ± 33.1 vs 70.2 mg/dL ± 30.7; P = 0.009), which remained when controlling for baseline confounding (-12.1 [5.6], 95% CI -23.2 to -0.99; P = 0.033). Hypoglycemia incidence was similar between groups. BPI patients had a lower incidence of glucose values within goal range than SSI patients (P = 0.046). There was no difference in length of stay or hospital mortality.

Conclusions and relevance: The use of SSI compared with a BPI regimen may result in reduced glycemic variability in critically ill patients without preexisting diabetes. Future prospective studies, with a larger sample size, are warranted to confirm our exploratory findings and characterize clinically significant benefits.

Keywords: critical care; glycemic variability; hyperglycemia; hypoglycemia; insulin.