Continuous Glucose Monitoring for Inpatients with Type 2 Diabetes

Traditional point-of-care blood glucose monitoring in hospitals gives us limited ability to detect inpatient hypoglycemic events prior to symptom onset. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems might permit detection of low glucose levels in inpatients via alerts. Investigators in Baltimore designed a glucose telemetry system to transmit CGM blood glucose values wirelessly from bedside to a centralized monitor at the nurses' station; 72 medical-floor patients with type 2 diabetes and high risk for hypoglycemic events were assigned randomly to have blood glucose monitored either via the CGM telemetry system or through traditional point-of-care protocols. Patients who developed hypoglycemia received protocol-driven carbohydrate supplementa…