Continuous Glucose Monitoring of Hospitalized Patients With Diabetes

Systematic continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is commonly provided as a treatment option to patients with diabetes in ambulatory care settings yet is rarely provided during hospitalization. CGM of inpatients has the potential to be the care delivery innovation that is feasible, cost effective and can improve glucose control, especially by reducing hypoglycemic events. Studies of CGM use in the ICU setting have been found to be helpful for reducing hypoglycemia in some studies while less so in others, however, these studies were performed with earlier generation glucose monitoring devices(5). ICU studies have confirmed accuracy of CGM measurements compared with capillary glucose even in settings with use of vasopressors and large-volume resuscitation. A limited number of studies have evaluated glycemic outcomes in the inpatient non-ICU setting. Studies of non-ICU patients (6-10) are limited by very small sample size, short study duration, and use of older CGM devices. There is, therefore, a critical need to systematically investigate the use of CGM in the inpatient care of patients with diabetes mellitus who are receiving care in a hospital setting that is typical of inpatient care.

AIM 1\) Test the health impact of CGM of inpatients as defined by rates of hypo- and hyperglycemia and the derivative of time in appropriate glucose range. Forty (40) patients will be randomized 1:1 into one of two conditions. In the treatment condition, patients will receive a Dexcom Gen6 device and the clinical staff (i.e., nursing and medical staff assigned to the patient's care) will be trained to use readings from the Dexcom Gen6 for the management of the patient's glucose levels below 100. In the control condition, patients will receive a Dexcom Gen6 device, but the clinical staff (i.e., nursing and medical staff assigned to the patient's care) will not have access to the readings and will provide usual care (four glucose checks per 24 hours and use of insulin or other diabetic agent ordered by the admitting and rounding providers to determine glucose management). 1. Hypothesis 1: Patients in the treatment condition will experience fewer episodes of hypoglycemia as compared to patients in the control condition as measured by the Dexcom Gen6 readings. 2. Hypothesis 2: Patients in the treatment condition will experience less frequent hyperglycemia events as compared to patients in the control condition as measured by the Dexcom Gen6 readings.