Managing Diabetes and Hyperglycemia in the Hospital Setting

Book excerpt: As the number of patients with diabetes increases annually, it is not surprising that the number of patients with diabetes who are admitted to the hospital also increases. Once in the hospital, patients with diabetes or hyperglycemia may be admitted to the Intensive Care Unit, require urgent or elective surgery, enteral or parenteral nutrition, intravenous insulin infusion, or therapies that significantly impact glycemic control (e.g., steroids). Because many clinical outcomes are influenced by the degree of glycemic control, knowledge of the best practices in inpatient diabetes management is extremely important. The field of inpatient management of diabetes and hyperglycemia has grown substantially in the last several years. This body of knowledge is summarized in this book, so it can reach the audience of hospitalists, endocrinologists, nurses and other team members who take care of hospitalized patients with diabetes and hyperglycemia.