title: Admission hyperglycemia and other risk factors as predictors of hospital mortality in a medical ICU population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tight glycemic control is recommended for patients in the ICU, as hyperglycemia is associated with increased morbidity and mortality.
  
  
  METHODS
  Observational cohort of patients admitted to a 12-bed, inner-city, medical ICU (MICU).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 1,185 of 1,506 patients from July 1, 1999, to December 31, 2002, selected based on a diagnosis other than diabetic ketoacidosis or glycemia > 280 mg/dL or < 80 mg/dL.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine if the highest serum glucose level within 24 h after ICU admission is associated with increased hospital mortality when adjusted for confounders.
  
  
  METHODS
  Age, gender, race, worst values within 24 h after ICU admission to construct the acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) II score, and highest glucose within 24 h after ICU admission. Hospital mortality was the primary outcome. Admitting diagnosis, MICU length of stay (LOS), and hospital LOS were obtained. Glucose, albumin (n = 867), and lactic acid (n = 319) were stratified for analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Univariate analysis identified factors included in the multivariate model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients were predominantly African-American (79%) and men (56%; mean age, 49.2 years). The mean ICU admission highest glucose level was 139 +/- 43.7 mg/dL (+/- SD). MICU LOS and hospital LOS were 6.2 days and 12.9 days, respectively, and 50% of patients received mechanical ventilation. MICU and hospital mortality were 18% and 20%, respectively; standardized mortality ratio was 66%. On univariate analysis, survivors (n = 945) and nonsurvivors (n = 240) showed APACHE II score, mechanical ventilation, hypoalbuminemia, lactic acidemia, and logistic organ dysfunction system score to be hospital mortality predictors; however, the highest admission serum glucose level was not. Logistic regression estimated APACHE II score/per point (odds ratio, 1.06; 95% confidence interval, 1.02 to 1.11), mechanical ventilation (odds ratio, 3.06; 95% confidence interval, 1.34 to 6.96), severe hypoalbuminemia (< 2 g/dL) [odds ratio, 2.98; 95% confidence interval, 1.3 to 7.02], and severe lactic acidemia (> or = 8 mmol/L) [odds ratio, 7.3; 95% confidence interval, 2.14 to 24.9], but not ICU admission hyperglycemia, to be associated with hospital mortality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Conventional factors of disease severity, but not highest glucose value during the first 24 h after ICU admission, predict hospital mortality in an inner-city MICU.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, 38163, USA. afreire@utmem.edu
authors.forename: Amado X
authors.initials: AX
authors.lastname: Freire
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bridges
authors.forename: Guillermo E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Umpierrez
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kuhl
authors.forename: Abbas E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Kitabchi
mesh_terms: D018806:APACHE; D000140:Acidosis, Lactic / Q000453:epidemiology; D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D034141:Hypoalbuminemia / Q000453:epidemiology; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007902:Length of Stay; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D012307:Risk Factors; D014505:Urban Population