Hyperglycemia and Glycemic Variability in Hospitalized Patients and its Impacts on Morbidity and Mortality: An Integrative Literature Review

Abstract

The constant change in plasma glucose is related to increased mortality, morbidity, length of stay and complications in patients in the hospital context. Dysglycemia increases the risk of infections, thrombosis and leads to slower wound healing. The main objective of this work was to carry out a literature review of the literature regarding the assessment and management of glycemic variability in hospitalized patients. An electronic search was performed for articles published in journals indexed through the PubMed database, using the following combination of descriptors verified in the MESH database: “Glycemic Control” OR “Blood Glucose” AND “Patient Readmission”, AND  “Inpatients” OR “Hospitalization”. Studies published between January and September 2022 were admitted. People with diabetes mellitus (DM) are more likely to be hospitalized due to comorbidities and complications specific to their disease. Hyperglycemia in hospitalized patients, even in the absence of a known diagnosis of diabetes, is associated with higher mortality and longer mean length of stay.