Hypoglycemia Raises Risk for Death in Critically Ill Patients

Hyperglycemia in critically ill patients is associated with morbidity and mortality. In light of this fact, investigators have spent more than a decade trying to determine the “right” blood glucose target for patients in intensive care units (ICUs). An initial trial suggested that intensive glucose control (target blood glucose, 80–110 mg/dL) lowered mortality in surgical ICU patients, but a subsequent large multicenter randomized trial (NICE-SUGAR) showed the opposite effect — tighter glucose control raised risk for death (JW Gen Med Mar 24 2009). Now researchers have analyzed data from 6026 NICE-SUGAR patients further to examine the relation between hypoglycemic events and mortality.

Moderate hypoglycemia (blood glucose level, 41–70 mg/dL)…