Diabetes care in hospitalized noncritically ill patients: More evidence for clinical inertia and negative therapeutic momentum.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about management of hyperglycemia in inpatients. OBJECTIVE: To gain insight into caring for hospitalized patients with hyperglycemia. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis. SETTING: Teaching hospital. PATIENTS: Data on all patients discharged between January 1, 2001, and December 31, 2004 with a diagnosis of diabetes or hyperglycemia were extracted and linked to laboratory and pharmacy databases. Only the data on patients who did not require intensive care and who were hospitalized for at least 3 days were analyzed. MEASUREMENTS: Average bedside glucose during the first and last 24 hours of hospital stay and for the entire length of stay; assessment of changes in insulin regimen and dose. RESULTS: The average age of patients included in the study (n = 2916) was 69 years. Fifty-seven percent of the patients were men, 90% were white, and average length of stay was 5.7 days. More than 20% of the patients had evidence of sustained hyperglycemia. Forty-two percent of the patients who showed poor control of glycemia (glucose > 200 mg/dL) during the first 24 hours were discharged in poor control. The frequency of hypoglycemia was low (only 2.2 of 100 measurements per person) compared with hyperglycemia (25.5 of 100 measurements per person). Most patients (72%) received insulin during hospitalization, but there was high use of short-acting insulin and less than optimal intensification of therapy (clinical inertia); many patients had insulin therapy decreased despite persistent hyperglycemia (negative therapeutic momentum). CONCLUSIONS: Glycemic control in the hospital was frequently poor, and there was suboptimal use of insulin, even among patients with sustained hyperglycemia. Educational programs directed at practitioners should focus on the importance of inpatient glucose control and provide guidelines on how and when to change therapy.

Diabetes care in the hospital: is there clinical inertia?

BACKGROUND: Effective control of hospital glucose improves outcomes, but little is known about hospital management of diabetes. OBJECTIVE: Assess hospital-based diabetes care delivery. DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. SETTING: Academic teaching hospital. PATIENTS: Inpatients with a discharge diagnosis of diabetes or hyperglycemia were selected from electronic records. A random sample (5%, n = 90) was selected for chart review. MEASUREMENTS: We determined the percentage of patients with diabetes or hyperglycemia documented in admission, daily progress, and discharge notes. We determined the proportion of cases with glucose levels documented in daily progress notes and with changes in hyperglycemia therapy recorded. The frequency of hypoglycemic and hyperglycemic events was also determined. RESULTS: A diabetes diagnosis was recorded at admission in 96% of patients with preexisting disease, but daily progress notes mentioned diabetes in only 62% of cases and 60% of discharge notes; just 20% of discharges indicated a plan for diabetes follow-up. Most patients (86%) had bedside glucose measurements ordered, but progress notes tracked values for only 53%, and only 52% had a documented assessment of glucose severity. Hypoglycemic events were rare (11% of patients had at least one bedside glucose < 70 mg/dL), but hyperglycemia was common (71% of cases had at least one bedside glucose > 200 mg/dL). Despite the frequency of hyperglycemia, only 34% of patients had their therapy changed. CONCLUSIONS: Practitioners were often aware of diabetes at admission, but the problem was often overlooked during hospitalization. The low rate of documentation and therapeutic change suggests the need for interventions to improve provider awareness and enhance inpatient diabetes care.