ABSTRACT
Objectives:
to assess the predictive factors associated with the occurrence of severe hypoglycemia, and to analyze the adverse events related to the use of insulin and oral hypoglycemic agents in patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU).
Method:
it is a cohort study developed in a large hospital in the city of Rio de Janeiro. The process of identification of hypoglycemia occurred through the daily and prospective review of the medical records based on the trigger tool “glucose 50 ≤ mg/dL”.
Results:
355 patients were assessed and monitored throughout the intensive care unit hospitalization, and 16 insulin-related hypoglycemia events were confirmed in 10 patients, which corresponded to an incidence of 2.8% and an incidence rate of 0.6 hypoglycemia events per 100 patients-day.The risk factors associated to hypoglycemia in the studywere: liver disease (OR=3.06, CI 95%=1.22-7.66), sepsis (OR=3.53, CI 95%=1.53-8.18) and occurrence of adverse event (OR=3.89, CI 95%=2.05-7.41). The one point increase in the APACHE severity score (OR=1.15; CI 95%=1.09-1.20) and the occurrence of hypoglycemia (OR=7.46; CI 95%=3.88-14.33) increased the chance of death in the ICU.
Conclusion:
this study emphasizes the impact of hypoglycemia on mortality in intensive care and the predictive factors for its occurrence, as well as examines the insulin-related adverse events.
DESCRIPTORS:
Hypoglycemia; Quality of health care; Patient safety; Intensive therapy; Adverse event
