Abstract

Objective- Hyperglycemia is a common condition in hospitalized patients. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationships between glycemia upon admission and mortality in a heterogeneous group of adult patients.

Research Design and Methods- The three-year records released from a general hospital were associated to plasma glucose dataset of its general laboratory. A matched case control study was implemented (3338 cases-controls). All Patient Refined Diagnosis Related Groups and the Relative Risk of Death were the matching criteria. A multivariate conditional logistic regression model was used to evaluate the associations between death and glycemia.

Results- Higher in-hospital mortality was associated with hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia while the lower risk was observed for values between 78 and 101 mg/dl.

Conclusions- Our data confirm the relation between glycemia upon admission and mortality and suggest that slightly increased or decreased plasma glucose can be linked with increased mortality risks.