RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Clinical Study of Hyperglycemia and SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Intensive Care Unit Patients
JF In Vivo
JO In Vivo
FD International Institute of Anticancer Research
SP 3029
OP 3032
DO 10.21873/invivo.12136
VO 34
IS 5
A1 IOANNIS ILIAS
A1 EDISON JAHAJ
A1 STYLIANOS KOKKORIS
A1 DIMITRIOS ZERVAKIS
A1 PRODROMOS TEMPERIKIDIS
A1 ELENI MAGIRA
A1 MARIA PRATIKAKI
A1 ALICE G. VASSILIOU
A1 CHRISTINA ROUTSI
A1 ANASTASIA KOTANIDOU
A1 IOANNA DIMOPOULOU
YR 2020
UL http://iv.iiarjournals.org/content/34/5/3029.abstract
AB Background/Aim: Reports indicate that coronaviridae may inhibit insulin secretion. In this report we aimed to describe the course of glycemia in critically ill patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Patients and Methods: We studied 36 SARS-CoV-2 patients (with no history of diabetes) in one intensive care unit (ICU). All the patients were admitted for hypoxemic respiratory failure; all but four required mechanical ventilation. The mean (±SD) age of the patients was 64.7 (9.7) years; 27 were men; the mean (±SD) duration of ICU stay was 12.9 (8.3 days). Results: Twenty of 36 patients presented with hyperglycemia; brief intravenous infusions of short-acting insulin were administered in six patients. As of May 29 2020, 11 patients had died (seven with hyperglycemia). In 17 patients the Hyperglycemia Index [HGI; defined as the area under the curve of (hyper)glycemia level*time (h) divided by the total time in the ICU] was <16.21 mg/dl (0.90 mmol/l), whereas in three patients the HGI was ≥16.21 mg/dl (0.90 mol/l) and <32.25 mg/dl (1.79 mmol/l). Conclusion: In our series of ICU patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, and no history of diabetes, a substantial number of patients had hyperglycemia, to a higher degree than would be expected by the stress of critical illness, lending credence to reports that speculated a tentative association between SARS-CoV-2 and hyperglycemia. This finding is important, since hyperglycemia can lead to further infectious complications.