Efficacy and safety of sitagliptin with basal-plus insulin regimen versus insulin alone in non-critically ill hospitalized patients with type 2 diabetes: SITA-PLUS hospital trial

Screening and management of hospital hyperglycemia in non-critical patients: a position statement from the Brazilian Diabetes Society (SBD)

BACKGROUND

Hospital Hyperglycemia (HH) is linked to poorer outcomes, including higher mortality rates, increased ICU admissions, and extended hospital stays, and occurs in both people living with diabetes or not. The prevalence of HH in non-critical patients ranges from 22 to 46%. This panel reviewed the evidence and made recommendations for the best care for hospitalized hyperglycemic patients, with or without diabetes mellitus.

METHODS

The methodology was published previously and was defined by the internal institutional steering committee. The SBD Acute and Hospital Complications Department drafted the manuscript, selecting key clinical questions for a narrative review using MEDLINE via PubMed. The best available evidence was reviewed, including randomized clinical trials (RCTs), meta-analyses, and high-quality observational studies related to Hospital Hyperglycemia.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

The department members and external experts developed 23 recommendations for the management of patients with HH, including screening, initial interventions, treatment adjustments, and care for potential complications. Based on the best available evidence, our article provides safe and effective management strategies for both public and private healthcare settings.

Inpatient diabetes management

Diabetes mellitus is currently approaching epidemic proportions and disproportionately affects patients in the hospital setting. In the United States, individuals living with diabetes represent over 17 million emergency department visits and 8 million admissions annually. The management of these patients in the hospital setting is complex and differs considerably from the outpatient setting. All patients with hyperglycemia should be screened for diabetes, as in-hospital hyperglycemia portends a greater risk for morbidity, mortality, admission to an intensive care unit, and increased hospital length of stay. However, the definition of hyperglycemia, glycemic targets, and strategies to manage hyperglycemia in the inpatient setting can vary greatly depending on the population considered. Moreover, the presenting illness, changing nutritional status, and concurrent hospital medications often necessitate thoughtful consideration to adjustments of home diabetes regimens and/or the initiation of new insulin doses. This review article will examine core concepts and emerging new literature surrounding inpatient diabetes management, including glycemic targets, insulin dosing strategies, noninsulin medications, new diabetes technologies, inpatient diabetes management teams, and discharge planning strategies, to optimize patient safety and satisfaction, clinical outcomes, and even hospital financial health.