Hyperglycemia: an independent marker of in-hospital mortality in patients with undiagnosed diabetes

J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2002 Mar;87(3):978-82. doi: 10.1210/jcem.87.3.8341.

Abstract

Admission hyperglycemia has been associated with increased hospital mortality in critically ill patients; however, it is not known whether hyperglycemia in patients admitted to general hospital wards is associated with poor outcome. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of in-hospital hyperglycemia and determine the survival and functional outcome of patients with hyperglycemia with and without a history of diabetes. We reviewed the medical records of 2030 consecutive adult patients admitted to Georgia Baptist Medical Center, a community teaching hospital in downtown Atlanta, GA, from July 1, 1998, to October 20, 1998. New hyperglycemia was defined as an admission or in-hospital fasting glucose level of 126 mg/dl (7 mmol/liter) or more or a random blood glucose level of 200 mg/dl (11.1 mmol/liter) or more on 2 or more determinations. Hyperglycemia was present in 38% of patients admitted to the hospital, of whom 26% had a known history of diabetes, and 12% had no history of diabetes before the admission. Newly discovered hyperglycemia was associated with higher in-hospital mortality rate (16%) compared with those patients with a prior history of diabetes (3%) and subjects with normoglycemia (1.7%; both P < 0.01). In addition, new hyperglycemic patients had a longer length of hospital stay, a higher admission rate to an intensive care unit, and were less likely to be discharged to home, frequently requiring transfer to a transitional care unit or nursing home facility. Our results indicate that in-hospital hyperglycemia is a common finding and represents an important marker of poor clinical outcome and mortality in patients with and without a history of diabetes. Patients with newly diagnosed hyperglycemia had a significantly higher mortality rate and a lower functional outcome than patients with a known history of diabetes or normoglycemia.

MeSH terms

  • Blood Glucose / analysis
  • Critical Care
  • Diabetes Mellitus / blood*
  • Diabetes Mellitus / diagnosis
  • Diabetes Mellitus / epidemiology
  • Diabetes Mellitus / therapy
  • Fasting / blood
  • Female
  • Hospitalization*
  • Hospitals
  • Humans
  • Hyperglycemia / diagnosis
  • Hyperglycemia / epidemiology
  • Hyperglycemia / etiology*
  • Hyperglycemia / mortality*
  • Length of Stay
  • Male
  • Medical Records
  • Middle Aged
  • Prognosis
  • United States

Substances

  • Blood Glucose