Management of Hyperglycemia in Critical Illness: Review of Targets and Strategies

Diabetes mellitus is a common problem and stress related hyperglycemia occurring in patients without history of diabetes mellitus has been shown to be associated with a poorer clinical outcome [1, 2, 3]. Effective glycemic control in critically ill patients results in marked improvements in clinical outcome [4, 5]. Approximately 12% of all hyperglycemic patients being admitted to tertiary care setting have no previous diagnosis of diabetes [6]. Sixty percent of patients with admission hyperglycemia developed confirmed diabetes at one year in a small study [7].