title: Glucose metabolism and insulin therapy.
abstract: Hyperglycemia is a common feature of the critically ill patient and has been associated with increased mortality. Maintaining normoglycemia with insulin therapy improves survival and reduces morbidity in surgical ICU patients, as shown by a large randomized controlled study. Prevention of glucose toxicity by strict glycemic control but also other metabolic and non-metabolic effects of insulin contribute to these clinical benefits.
authors.affiliation: Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Lies
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Langouche
authors.forename: Greet
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Van den Berghe
mesh_terms: D016638:Critical Illness; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007328:Insulin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin; D005947:Glucose