A pilot study to evaluate the effectiveness of glargine and multiple injections of lispro in patients with type 2 diabetes receiving tube feedings in a cardiovascular intensive care unit.

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of insulin lispro and insulin glargine at controlling blood glucose in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in a cardiovascular intensive care unit (CICU) and receiving enteral tube feedings.

Methods: This was a pilot study with a retrospective control designed to evaluate an insulin protocol in patients admitted to the CICU in a level 3 teaching institution. Patients were 18-99 years of age with type 2 diabetes mellitus, receiving bolus tube feeding. The control group included 24 patients who were retrospectively studied to determine mean blood glucose level. A glycemic management protocol was developed that included glargine and lispro insulins to maintain blood glucose levels between 80 and 140 mg/dL. The study group consisted of 28 patients who were treated according to the glycemic management protocol.

Results: The mean blood glucose level of the retrospective control group was 225 mg/dL. The mean blood glucose level of the intervention group was 148 mg/dL. After protocol institution, 48.6% of blood glucose levels were within the goal blood glucose range of 80-140 mg/dL vs 8.26% (p = .01) before protocol institution. Hyperglycemia decreased from 90.0% to 47.2% (p < .0001) with institution of the protocol.

Conclusions: The average blood glucose of the intervention group was slightly above the goal blood glucose range of 80-140 mg/dL; however, the study protocol was superior to the previous CICU blood glucose management protocol.