title: Effect of hydroxyethyl starch on blood glucose levels.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hydroxyethyl starch (HES), a commonly used resuscitation fluid, has the property to induce hyperglycemia as it contains large ethyl starch, which can be metabolized to produce glucose. We evaluated the effect of 6% HES-130 on the blood glucose levels in non-diabetic patients undergoing surgery under spinal anesthesia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients scheduled to undergo elective lower limb surgery were enrolled. Fifty-eight patients were divided into two groups according to the type of the main intravascular fluid used before spinal anesthesia (Group LR: lactated Ringer's solution, n = 30 vs. Group HES: 6% hydroxyethyl starch 130/0.4, n = 28). Blood glucose levels were measured at the following time points: 0 (baseline), 20 min (T1), 1 h (T2), 2 h (T3), 4 h (T4), and 6 h (T6).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean blood glucose levels at T5 in the LR group and T4, T5 in the HES group, increased significantly compared to baseline. There were no significant changes in the serial differences of mean blood glucose levels from baseline between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Administration of 6% HES-130 increased blood glucose levels within the physiologic limits, but the degree of glucose increase was not greater than that caused by administration of lactated Ringer's solution. In conclusion, we did not find evidence that 6% HES-130 induces hyperglycemia in non-diabetic patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Chosun University School of Medicine, Gwangju, Korea.
authors.forename: Ki Tae
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-2486-9961
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Chosun University Hospital, Gwangju, Korea.
authors.forename: Soo Bin
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Chosun University Hospital, Gwangju, Korea.
authors.forename: Woo Young
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Chosun University School of Medicine, Gwangju, Korea.
authors.forename: Tae Hun
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: An
keywords: Blood glucose; Colloids; Hydroxyethyl starch derivatives; Ringer