Sepsis-associated hypoglycemia on admission linked with increased mortality in ICU patients

Hyperglycemia is a common response to acute illness, but it is not often. The frequency and cause of hypoglycemia in septic patients have not been well elucidated  A retrospective review of 265 patients in the journal Acute Medicine and surgery assessed patients with sepsis admitted to a tertiary medical center. Blood glucose levels on admission were evaluated.

The study, focused on sepsis‐associated hypoglycemia in the early phase and evaluated the impact of hypoglycemia on mortality.  Researchers categorized patients with sepsis into five groups according to blood glucose levels. Seven patients were admitted with severe hypoglycemia, 19 with mild hypoglycemia, 103 with euglycemia, 58 with mild hyperglycemia, and 78 with hyperglycemia. There was a significant difference in 28‐day mortality between those with severe hypoglycemia and euglycemia.

Researchers concluded that septic patients with severe hypoglycemia had significantly higher mortality compared with patients with euglycemia.