Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to assess the safety and effectiveness of an electronic glucose monitoring system (eGMS) versus paper-based protocols (PBPs) to manage diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and hyperglycemic hyperosmolar syndrome (HHS) within the VA setting. METHODS: This study is a retrospective chart review of patients on an insulin drip, treated in the emergency department (ED) or intensive care unit (ICU) at Veteran Health Indiana for DKA or HHS. The primary outcome was evaluating the percentage of patients with hypoglycemia (blood glucose [BG] level <70 mg/dL) in patients admitted with DKA and HHS comparing an eGMS versus a PBP. A total of 168 patients were included in the analysis, with 84 patients in each group. RESULTS: The primary outcome comparing rates of hypoglycemia in the eGMS group versus the PBP group showed a lower rate of hypoglycemia in the eGMS group (0.024%) compared with the PBP group (0.060%); however, this difference was not found to be statistically significant (P = .90). Statistically significant secondary outcomes include the percentage of glucose checks drawn within the protocol recommendation (80.7% vs 52.6%, P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: While the primary endpoint of decreased hypoglycemia was not found to be statistically significant, it did reduce the overall number of hypoglycemia events in the eGMS group compared with the PBP group which may be clinically significant. This demonstrates that eGMS use has the potential to minimize hypoglycemia and glycemic variability in a critically-ill Veteran population by individualizing insulin drip titration based on a variety of patient-specific factors and providing reminders for staff to obtain BG checks in a timely manner.