Glucose Levels in Patients With Acute Respiratory Failure Requiring Mechanical Ventilation

Background:Recent studies suggest that patients with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) frequently develop hyperglycemia, which has been linked to adverse outcomes.Methods:We retrospectively collected information about patient demographics, admission diagnosis, comorbidities, use of insulin, and glucose levels and related tests in 174 patients who required mechanical ventilation for acute respiratory failure.Results:These patients had a mean age of 57.8 ± 16.8 years, a mean Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) score of 13.8 ± 6.1, and an overall mortality of 32.2%. The mean number of ventilator days was 7.5 ± 7.1. The mean highest glucose level was 239.3 ± 88.9 mg/dL in patients with COPD (n = 41) and 259.1 ± 131.7 mg/dL in patients without COPD (n =133). Patients with diabetes had higher glucose levels than patients without this diagnosis (P .05). The mortality rate...