Comparative Trial Between 3 Types of Insulin Infusion Protocols

Increasing evidence from observational studies in hospitalized patients with and without diabetes indicates that hyperglycemia is a predictor of poor outcome. Over the short-term, hyperglycemia can adversely affects fluid balance (through glycosuria and dehydration), impairs immunologic response to infection, and promotes inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. Blood glucose control with intensive insulin therapy in patients with acute critical illness reduces the risk of multiorgan failure and systemic infections, and decreases short- and long-term mortality . \- Hypotheses: we hypothesize that management of inpatient hyperglycemia with a computer-guided intravenous infusion protocol (Glucommander) will facilitate a smoother glycemic control with a lower rate of hypoglycemic events than treatment following a standard insulin infusion algorithm or a simple calculated infusion protocol in critically ill patients in the medical and surgical ICU.