Glycemic management in the inpatient setting.

Hyperglycemia occurs frequently in hospitalized patients and affects patient outcomes, including mortality, inpatient complications, hospital length of stay, and overall hospital costs. Various degrees of glycemic control have been studied and consensus statements from the American Diabetes Association/American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and The Endocrine Society recommend a target blood glucose range of 140 to 180 mg/dL in most hospitalized patients. Insulin is the preferred modality for treating all hospitalized patients with hyperglycemia, as it is adaptable to changing patient physiology over the course of hospitalization.