Role of clinical pharmacists in multidisciplinary collaborative management of blood glucose in COVID-19 patients with hyperglycemia.

BACKGROUND: During the ongoing global pandemic of COVID-19, the association between hyperglycemia and COVID-19 infection has emerged as a notable concern. Therefore, finding effective methods to manage hyperglycemia in patients with COVID-19 is crucial. OBJECTIVE: To introduce the clinical pharmacists participating in multidisciplinary collaborative whole hospital blood glucose management mode, and to explore its effect on blood glucose control in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 infection and complicated with hyperglycemia. METHODS: Patients with COVID-19 treated at Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from December 2022 to January 2023 were assigned to routine diagnosis and treatment group and whole hospital blood glucose management group according to the blood glucose management plan received by patients. The groups were compared in regards to their adherence to management advice, blood glucose levels, fluctuation, inflammation-related indicators, medical service-related indicators, and incidence of hypoglycemia and adverse events. RESULTS: After 5 days of glucose management, both groups showed a decrease in fasting and postprandial blood glucose. Postprandial blood glucose in the whole hospital glucose management group was significantly lower than the routine group (P < 0.05). The whole hospital glucose management group showed a significant increase in compliance rate, improved inflammation-related indicators, and higher detection rates for hemoglobin and islet function (P < 0.05). Implementation rates for medical orders and treatment plans were also higher in the whole hospital group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in incidence of adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: Multidisciplinary blood glucose management is highly recommended for patients with COVID-19 who have hyperglycemia due to its effectiveness, standardization, safety, and improvement of inflammation indicators.

Use of computed tomography for the diagnosis of surgical sarcopenia: Review of recent research advances.

Sarcopenia, also known as muscle decay, is associated with high morbidity among surgical patients. It is highly correlated with adverse clinical outcomes, such as increased postoperative complications, prolonged hospital stay, and increased mortality. Computed tomography (CT) is one of the main methods for diagnosing sarcopenia, which has the advantages of intuitiveness, rapidity, and accuracy. Clinical studies have shown that CT-defined sarcopenia can help predict the clinical outcomes and prognosis of surgical patients and provide an important reference for the formulation of antitumor treatment protocols. In recent years, some scholars have tried to construct an intelligent CT-based diagnostic model, which is expected to improve the diagnostic efficiency and establish standardized diagnostic criteria for CT-defined sarcopenia. In this review, we summarize the recent progress in the understanding of the diagnosis of sarcopenia and its potential prognostic value in surgery.