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Comment
. 2020 Nov;43(11):2736-2743.
doi: 10.2337/dc20-0840. Epub 2020 Aug 5.

Reducing Inpatient Hypoglycemia in the General Wards Using Real-time Continuous Glucose Monitoring: The Glucose Telemetry System, a Randomized Clinical Trial

Lakshmi G Singh  1 , Medha Satyarengga  2 , Isabel Marcano  3 , William H Scott  1 , Lillian F Pinault  1 , Zhaoyong Feng  4 , John D Sorkin  5 , Guillermo E Umpierrez  6 , Elias K Spanakis  7   3
Affiliations
Comment

Reducing Inpatient Hypoglycemia in the General Wards Using Real-time Continuous Glucose Monitoring: The Glucose Telemetry System, a Randomized Clinical Trial

Lakshmi G Singh et al. Diabetes Care. 2020 Nov.

Abstract

Objective: Use of real-time continuous glucose monitoring (RT-CGM) systems in the inpatient setting is considered investigational. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether RT-CGM, using the glucose telemetry system (GTS), can prevent hypoglycemia in the general wards.

Research design and methods: In a randomized clinical trial, insulin-treated patients with type 2 diabetes at high risk for hypoglycemia were recruited. Participants were randomized to RT-CGM/GTS or point-of-care (POC) blood glucose testing. The primary outcome was difference in inpatient hypoglycemia.

Results: Seventy-two participants were included in this interim analysis, 36 in the RT-CGM/GTS group and 36 in the POC group. The RT-CGM/GTS group experienced fewer hypoglycemic events (<70 mg/dL) per patient (0.67 [95% CI 0.34-1.30] vs. 1.69 [1.11-2.58], P = 0.024), fewer clinically significant hypoglycemic events (<54 mg/dL) per patient (0.08 [0.03-0.26] vs. 0.75 [0.51-1.09], P = 0.003), and a lower percentage of time spent below range <70 mg/dL (0.40% [0.18-0.92%] vs. 1.88% [1.26-2.81%], P = 0.002) and <54 mg/dL (0.05% [0.01-0.43%] vs. 0.82% [0.47-1.43%], P = 0.017) compared with the POC group. No differences in nocturnal hypoglycemia, time in range 70-180 mg/dL, and time above range >180-250 mg/dL and >250 mg/dL were found between the groups. The RT-CGM/GTS group had no prolonged hypoglycemia compared with 0.20 episodes <54 mg/dL and 0.40 episodes <70 mg/dL per patient in the POC group.

Conclusions: RT-CGM/GTS can decrease hypoglycemia among hospitalized high-risk insulin-treated patients with type 2 diabetes.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Hypoglycemic events per patient.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Percentage of TBR.
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