Evaluating the Emergency Department Observation Unit for the management of hyperglycemia in adults.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether hyperglycemic patients can be successfully managed in the Emergency Department Observation Unit (EDOU), as determined by the frequency of inpatient admission following their EDOU stay. METHODS: This was a retrospective chart review of patients≥18years presenting to an academic tertiary care ED between May 1, 2014 and May 31, 2016, found to have a glucose≥300mg/dL, and selected for EDOU admission. Patient demographic information, lab results including an HbA1c, disposition, and hospital revisits within 30days of discharge were recorded. RESULTS: There were 124 EDOU patients meeting criteria. A total of 98/124 (79.0%) had a history of type 1 or 2 diabetes, and 26/124 (21.0%) were newly diagnosed with diabetes in the EDOU. The mean initial ED serum glucose was 467±126mg/dL. Of the 119 patients with HbA1c analyzed, the mean value was 12.1±2.2% (109±24mmol/mol) and in 112/119 (94.1%) the level was ≥9.0% (75mmol/mol). Overall, 104/124 (83.9%) were discharged from the EDOU, 18/124 (14.5%) were admitted to the inpatient service, and 2/124 (1.6%) left the EDOU against medical advice. A total of 7/124 (5.6%) patients returned to the ED within 30days of discharge with hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, or diabetic ketoacidosis, 6/7 (85.7%) of whom had been discharged from the EDOU. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest hyperglycemic patients selected by ED physicians can be managed in the EDOU setting. Nearly all patients managed in the EDOU for hyperglycemia had an HbA1c≥9.0%, suggesting unrecognized or poorly controlled chronic diabetes as the basis for hyperglycemia.

Prevalence of undiagnosed dysglycemia in an emergency department observation unit.

BACKGROUND: The proposed 2015 US Preventive Services Task Force guidelines recommend diabetes screening for individuals ≥45 years or demonstrating other risk factors for dysglycemia. Still, many patients with dysglycemia remain undiagnosed, and opportunities for early intervention are lost. METHODS: To test novel approaches for diagnosis using the haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c ) test, we screened adult patients who were admitted to an observation unit from the emergency department with no known history of pre-diabetes or diabetes. RESULTS: Of 256 subjects, 9% were newly diagnosed with diabetes and 52% were newly diagnosed with pre-diabetes. Of those aged 18-29 years, 33% were newly diagnosed with dysglycemia, while 55% of those aged 30-44 years and 70% of those aged ≥45 years were newly diagnosed with dysglycemia. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that regardless of age, a large proportion of patients in the emergency department observation unit have undiagnosed dysglycemia, an important finding given the large number of observation admissions. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

INTRAVENOUS PAMIDRONATE IS ASSOCIATED WITH REDUCED MORTALITY IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC CRITICAL ILLNESS.

OBJECTIVE: Chronic critical illness (CCI), characterized by prolonged mechanical ventilation and tracheostomy, commonly manifests with elevated bone resorption, which has previously been shown to abate after treatment with intravenous (IV) bisphosphonates. Our study assessed the impact of pamidronate administration on clinical outcomes in a CCI cohort. METHODS: A retrospective case series was performed on 148 patients admitted to The Mount Sinai Hospital Respiratory Care Unit (RCU) from 2009-2010. We identified patients with CCI who did (n = 30) or did not (n = 118) receive IV pamidronate (30 to 90 mg). Both groups included patients with normal and abnormal renal function. Pamidronate was administered for elevated urine or serum N-telopeptide, hypercalciuria, or hypercalcemia. RESULTS: RCU and 1-year mortality were significantly lower in the pamidronate group (0 and 20%, respectively) compared to nonreceivers (19 and 56%, respectively) (P = .0077 and P = .0004, respectively). After adjusting for differences in baseline creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and serum calcium, the association with reduced mortality remained significant at 1 year (P = .0132) and with borderline significance for RCU mortality (P = .0911). Creatinine was significantly lower 7 days following pamidronate administration (P = .0025), with no significant difference at 14 days compared to baseline. Pamidronate receivers showed a greater increase in albumin during the RCU stay (2.49 to 3.23 g/dL), compared to nonreceivers (2.43 to 2.64 g/dL) (P = .0007). Pamidronate administration was associated with a significantly reduced rate of hypoglycemia compared to RCU patients not receiving pamidronate (0.09 versus 0.12; P = .0071). CONCLUSION: Pamidronate use in a CCI population is associated with reduced mortality, lower hypoglycemia rates, improved albumin, and stable renal function. ABBREVIATIONS: BMI = body mass index CCI = chronic critical illness CI = confidence interval CKD = chronic kidney disease CTx = C-telopeptide eGFR = estimated glomerular filtration rate ICU = intensive care unit IV = intravenous NTx = N-telopeptide PMV = prolonged mechanical ventilation RCU = respiratory care unit.

Association of glycemic control parameters with clinical outcomes in chronic critical illness.

OBJECTIVE: Chronic critical illness (CCI) is a term used to designate patients requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation and tracheostomy with associated poor outcomes. The present study assessed the impact of glycemic parameters on outcomes in a CCI population. METHODS: A retrospective case series was performed including 148 patients in The Mount Sinai Hospital Respiratory Care Unit (2009-2010). Utilizing a semi-parametric mixture model, trajectories for the daily mean blood glucose (BG), BG range, and hypoglycemia rate over time identified low- (n = 87) and high-risk (n = 61) hyperglycemia groups and low- (n = 90) and high-risk (n = 58) hypoglycemia groups. The cohort was also classified into diabetes (DM, n = 48), stress hyperglycemia (SH, n = 85), and normal glucose (n = 15) groups. RESULTS: Hospital- (28% vs. 13%, P = .0199) and 1-year mortality (66% vs. 46%, P = .0185) rates were significantly greater in the high- versus low-risk hyperglycemia groups, respectively. The hypoglycemia rate (<70 mg/dL) was lower among ventilator-liberated patients compared to those who failed to liberate (0.092 vs. 0.130, P<.0001). In the SH group, both hospital mortality (high-risk hyperglycemia 48% and low-risk hyperglycemia 15%, P = .0013) and 1-year mortality (high-risk 74% and low-risk 50%, P = .0482) remained significantly different, while no significant difference in the diabetes group was observed. There were lower hypoglycemia rates with SH compared to diabetes (<70 mg/dL: 0.086 vs. 0.182, P<.0001; <40 mg/dL: 0.012 vs. 0.022, P = .0118, respectively). CONCLUSION: Tighter glycemic control was associated with improved outcomes in CCI patients with SH but not in CCI patients with diabetes. Confirmation of these findings may lead to stratified glycemic control protocols in CCI patients based on the presence or absence of diabetes.

Metabolic and nutrition support in the chronic critical illness syndrome.

Technological innovations in the ICU have led to artificially prolonged life, with an associated cost. Chronic critical illness (CCI) occurs in patients with prolonged mechanical ventilation and allostatic overload, and is associated with a discrete and consistent metabolic syndrome. Metabolic interventions are extrapolated from clinical critical care research, scientific theory, and years of CCI patient care experience. Intensive metabolic support (IMS) is a multi-targeted approach consisting of tight glycemic control with intensive insulin therapy, early and adequate nutrition therapy, nutritional pharmacology, management of metabolic bone disease, and meticulous attention to other endocrine/metabolic derangements. Ideally, IMS should be under the supervision of a metabolic support consultative team. Further research specifically focused on the CCI population is needed to validate this current approach.

Nutrition, bone, and aging: an integrative physiology approach.

Osteoporosis, a condition associated with significant morbidity and mortality, is prevalent in the growing elderly population. Aging is associated with characteristic changes in the complex pathways of bone remodeling and in patterns of food intake. Whereas the traditional focus of nutritional supplementation for protection of bone health has centered around calcium and vitamin D, a multitude of nutrients have been identified with effects on bone, both individually and in combination. An integrative physiology approach can assist in formulating a deeper understanding of the complex interactions of nutrition and aging with bone, with the goal of identifying modifiable risk factors for the prevention of bone loss.

Recovery from skeletal fluorosis (an enigmatic, American case).

UNLABELLED: A 52-year-old man presented with severe neck immobility and radiographic osteosclerosis. Elevated fluoride levels in serum, urine, and iliac crest bone revealed skeletal fluorosis. Nearly a decade of detailed follow-up documented considerable correction of the disorder after removal of the putative source of fluoride (toothpaste). INTRODUCTION: Skeletal fluorosis, a crippling bone disorder, is rare in the United States, but affects millions worldwide. There are no data regarding its reversibility. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A white man presented in 1996 with neck immobility and worsening joint pains of 7-year duration. Radiographs revealed axial osteosclerosis. Bone markers were distinctly elevated. DXA of lumbar spine (LS), femoral neck (FN), and distal one-third radius showed Z scores of +14.3, +6.6, and -0.6, respectively. Transiliac crest biopsy revealed cancellous volume 4.5 times the reference mean, cortical width 3.2 times the reference mean, osteoid thickness 25 times the reference mean, and wide and diffuse tetracycline uptake documenting osteomalacia. Fluoride (F) was elevated in serum (0.34 and 0.29 mg/liter [reference range: <0.20]), urine (26 mg/liter [reference range: 0.2-1.1 mg/liter]), and iliac crest (1.8% [reference range: <0.1%]). Tap and bottled water were negative for F. Surreptitious ingestion of toothpaste was the most plausible F source. RESULTS: Monitoring for a decade showed that within 3 months of removal of F toothpaste, urine F dropped from 26 to 16 mg/liter (reference range: 0.2-1.1 mg/liter), to 3.9 at 14 months, and was normal (1.2 mg/liter) after 9 years. Serum F normalized within 8 months. Markers corrected by 14 months. Serum creatinine increased gradually from 1.0 (1997) to 1.3 mg/dl (2006; reference range: 0.5-1.4 mg/dl). Radiographs, after 9 years, showed decreased sclerosis of trabeculae and some decrease of sacrospinous ligament ossification. DXA, after 9 years, revealed 23.6% and 15.1% reduction in LS and FN BMD with Z scores of +9.3 and +4.8, respectively. Iliac crest, after 8.5 years, had normal osteoid surface and thickness with distinct double labels. Bone F, after 8.5 years, was 1.15% (reference range, <0.1), which was a 36% reduction (still 10 times the reference value). All arthralgias resolved within 2 years, and he never fractured, but new-onset nephrolithiasis occurred within 9 months and became a chronic problem. CONCLUSIONS: With removal of F exposure, skeletal fluorosis is reversible, but likely impacts for decades. Patients should be monitored for impending nephrolithiasis.

THE ENDOCRINOPATHIES OF MALE ANOREXIA NERVOSA: CASE SERIES.

OBJECTIVE: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious disorder with associated morbidity and mortality, most commonly diagnosed in females. Existing literature on male anorexia is sparse, and a review of the endocrine effects of AN in males has not previously been published. Our objective is to highlight the clinical characteristics of AN in males as a routinely overlooked cause of multiple endocrinopathies and systemic illness in hospitalized patients. METHODS: We present 4 cases (2 cases at The Mount Sinai Hospital; 2 cases at Long Island Jewish Hospital) of young men with hormonal dysfunction due to underlying AN. Pertinent de-identified data were collected from a chart review of cases seen on the endocrinology consult service at both hospitals. Institutional Review Board approval was not required for an observational report of the cases presented. RESULTS: Four young men with AN demonstrated evidence of multiple systemic complications from severe caloric and protein malnutrition. Varying degrees of endocrinopathies were present, including hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, hypercortisolemia, and nonthyroidal illness syndrome, resulting in bradycardia, gastroparesis, hypothermia, acute systolic heart failure, and erectile dysfunction. Ages at diagnosis were 20, 24, 23, and 20 years, with mean age 21.75 years. Most of the clinical effects from these endocrinopathies resolved with improved caloric intake and nutrition, although symptoms of hypogonadism persisted. CONCLUSION: This small case series highlights the importance of AN as a potential cause of multiple endocrinopathies in males. The heterogeneous presentations and varying degrees of clinical manifestations in our cohort emphasize the challenge in diagnosis. Increased awareness of AN in males is vital, as its prevalence is likely underestimated and appropriate diagnosis and treatment can ameliorate the metabolic dysfunction in a majority of cases. Further studies on males with eating disorders are needed to help guide diagnostic and therapeutic decisions.

Can nutrition support interfere with recovery from acute critical illness?

Malnutrition, following critical illness-related metabolic and immune neuroendocrine derangements, is exacerbated by energy and protein deficits beginning early in the intensive care unit (ICU) stay. While nutrition support is an important component of ICU care, adverse effects can occur. Underfeeding, due to insufficient energy and/or protein is associated with poor patient outcomes. Overfeeding carbohydrates, lipids, and/or protein can result in hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia, hepatic dysfunction, and/or azotemia. Individualization of the nutritional prescription with clinical monitoring and repeated adjustment is necessary to avoid harm. Appropriate use of tight glycemic control protocols in combination with nutrition support can prevent hyperglycemia, while minimizing glycemic variability and hypoglycemic events. While the enteral route is favored for nutrition support, early supplemental parenteral nutrition should be considered in selected high-risk patients. Thus, risk stratification of patients upon admission to the ICU can be helpful to design individualized nutritional prescriptions maximizing benefit while avoiding potential interference with recovery.