[Insulin therapy on intensive care should not be too intensive]. 2009

Armand R J Girbes, and Albertus Beishuizen
VU Medisch Centrum, afd. Intensive Care Volwassenen, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. arj.girbes@vumc.nl

Intensive insulin therapy for critically ill patients is implemented as standard therapy in many ICUs, even though the evidence supporting this approach comes from just two studies at a single centre. Moreover, the results could not be repeated in other multicenter trials and there is increasing evidence of a risk of hypoglycaemia. However, it appears that many intensive care specialists have been too zealous in their attempts to attain euglycemia during critical care. A recent RCT with over 6000 patients demonstrated that intensive glucose control increases mortality by 2.4%.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007003 Hypoglycemia A syndrome of abnormally low BLOOD GLUCOSE level. Clinical hypoglycemia has diverse etiologies. Severe hypoglycemia eventually lead to glucose deprivation of the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM resulting in HUNGER; SWEATING; PARESTHESIA; impaired mental function; SEIZURES; COMA; and even DEATH. Fasting Hypoglycemia,Postabsorptive Hypoglycemia,Postprandial Hypoglycemia,Reactive Hypoglycemia,Hypoglycemia, Fasting,Hypoglycemia, Postabsorptive,Hypoglycemia, Postprandial,Hypoglycemia, Reactive
D007004 Hypoglycemic Agents Substances which lower blood glucose levels. Antidiabetic,Antidiabetic Agent,Antidiabetic Drug,Antidiabetics,Antihyperglycemic,Antihyperglycemic Agent,Hypoglycemic,Hypoglycemic Agent,Hypoglycemic Drug,Antidiabetic Agents,Antidiabetic Drugs,Antihyperglycemic Agents,Antihyperglycemics,Hypoglycemic Drugs,Hypoglycemic Effect,Hypoglycemic Effects,Hypoglycemics,Agent, Antidiabetic,Agent, Antihyperglycemic,Agent, Hypoglycemic,Agents, Antidiabetic,Agents, Antihyperglycemic,Agents, Hypoglycemic,Drug, Antidiabetic,Drug, Hypoglycemic,Drugs, Antidiabetic,Drugs, Hypoglycemic,Effect, Hypoglycemic,Effects, Hypoglycemic
D007328 Insulin A 51-amino acid pancreatic hormone that plays a major role in the regulation of glucose metabolism, directly by suppressing endogenous glucose production (GLYCOGENOLYSIS; GLUCONEOGENESIS) and indirectly by suppressing GLUCAGON secretion and LIPOLYSIS. Native insulin is a globular protein comprised of a zinc-coordinated hexamer. Each insulin monomer containing two chains, A (21 residues) and B (30 residues), linked by two disulfide bonds. Insulin is used as a drug to control insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (DIABETES MELLITUS, TYPE 1). Iletin,Insulin A Chain,Insulin B Chain,Insulin, Regular,Novolin,Sodium Insulin,Soluble Insulin,Chain, Insulin B,Insulin, Sodium,Insulin, Soluble,Regular Insulin
D007362 Intensive Care Units Hospital units providing continuous surveillance and care to acutely ill patients. ICU Intensive Care Units,Intensive Care Unit,Unit, Intensive Care
D003422 Critical Care Health care provided to a critically ill patient during a medical emergency or crisis. Intensive Care,Intensive Care, Surgical,Surgical Intensive Care,Care, Critical,Care, Intensive,Care, Surgical Intensive
D004305 Dose-Response Relationship, Drug The relationship between the dose of an administered drug and the response of the organism to the drug. Dose Response Relationship, Drug,Dose-Response Relationships, Drug,Drug Dose-Response Relationship,Drug Dose-Response Relationships,Relationship, Drug Dose-Response,Relationships, Drug Dose-Response
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012308 Risk Management The process of minimizing risk to an organization by developing systems to identify and analyze potential hazards to prevent accidents, injuries, and other adverse occurrences, and by attempting to handle events and incidents which do occur in such a manner that their effect and cost are minimized. Effective risk management has its greatest benefits in application to insurance in order to avert or minimize financial liability. (From Slee & Slee: Health care terms, 2d ed) Hospital Incident Reporting,Incident Reporting, Hospital,Hospital Incident Reportings,Incident Reporting,Incident Reportings, Hospital,Management, Risks,Reporting, Hospital Incident,Reportings, Hospital Risk,Voluntary Patient Safety Event Reporting,Hospital Risk Reporting,Hospital Risk Reportings,Incident Reportings,Management, Risk,Reporting, Hospital Risk,Reporting, Incident,Reportings, Hospital Incident,Reportings, Incident,Risk Reporting, Hospital,Risk Reportings, Hospital,Risks Management
D016638 Critical Illness A disease or state in which death is possible or imminent. Critically Ill,Critical Illnesses,Illness, Critical,Illnesses, Critical
D018570 Risk Assessment The qualitative or quantitative estimation of the likelihood of adverse effects that may result from exposure to specified health hazards or from the absence of beneficial influences. (Last, Dictionary of Epidemiology, 1988) Assessment, Risk,Benefit-Risk Assessment,Risk Analysis,Risk-Benefit Assessment,Health Risk Assessment,Risks and Benefits,Analysis, Risk,Assessment, Benefit-Risk,Assessment, Health Risk,Assessment, Risk-Benefit,Benefit Risk Assessment,Benefit-Risk Assessments,Benefits and Risks,Health Risk Assessments,Risk Analyses,Risk Assessment, Health,Risk Assessments,Risk Benefit Assessment,Risk-Benefit Assessments

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