Reduction of hospital costs and length of stay by good control of blood glucose levels.
OBJECTIVE
To discuss the available literature regarding the potential benefits of improving blood glucose control in hospitalized patients.


RESULTS
Subjects with diabetes constitute an increasing proportion of hospitalized patients. Hospital costs attributable to diabetes are in excess of $40 billion annually in the United States. Numerous reports have confirmed a correlation between blood glucose control at the time of hospitalization and adverse inpatient outcomes for various admission diagnoses, in some cases with or without a previous diagnosis of diabetes. Several studies have specifically found a relationship between improved inpatient control of blood glucose levels and decreased hospital length of stay. Likewise, cost savings have been proposed for intensive inpatient glucose management for a few critical admission diagnoses. Although the apparent economic advantage of aggressive control of blood glucose levels is substantial, cost-effectiveness analyses have been few and limited in scope.


CONCLUSIONS
Improved blood glucose control in the hospital setting appears to reduce the duration of hospital stay and the hospital costs. Comprehensive analyses of cost-effectiveness through prospective, randomized intervention trials are needed, however, to characterize these benefits more precisely.
Ahmann
Andrew
A
Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Clinical Nutrition, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA.
D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D003363:Cost Control; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood; D017721:Hospital Costs; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007297:Inpatients; D007902:Length of Stay; D009017:Morbidity
D001786:Blood Glucose; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents