Potentially Important Contribution of Dextrose Used as Diluent to Hyperglycemia in Hospitalized Patients
- Bryan J. Krajicek, MD1,
- Yogish C. Kudva, MBBS2 and
- Heather A. Hurley, PHARMD3
- 1St. Marys Hospital, Critical Care Unit, Rochester, Minnesota
- 2Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Nutrition & Metabolism, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota
- 3Department of Pharmacy Services, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota
- Address correspondence to Yogish C. Kudva, MD, MBBS, W18A, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Nutrition & Metabolism, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St., SW, Rochester, MN 55905. E-mail: kudva.yogish{at}mayo.edu
Several recent studies have shown increased morbidity and mortality associated with hyperglycemia in patients hospitalized for cardiovascular illnesses and acute illness requiring intensive care (1). While many of these studies have utilized intensive insulin therapy (IIT) as a means of controlling hyperglycemia, to our knowledge the possible iatrogenic contribution of intravenous medications has been overlooked.
A 78-year-old man with type 2 diabetes was hospitalized for respiratory failure. Glycemic control was suboptimal despite continuous insulin infusion. The diabetes service observed infusion of Vancomycin mixed in 250 ml of 5% dextrose (D5W) while …
