Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 17, 2026
12:08
Improving IV Insulin Administration in a Community Hospital
Published on: June 11, 2012
A user-designed bedside glucose tool
1LDS Hospital, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
AMIA ... Annual Symposium Proceedings. AMIA Symposium
|January 24, 2007
Summary
A new bedside tool provides real-time insulin therapy guidance for intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Developed with clinicians, this glucose control system improved usability and workflow in five adult ICUs.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Clinical Informatics
- Critical Care Medicine
Background:
- Managing blood glucose levels in intensive care unit (ICU) patients is critical for patient outcomes.
- Existing insulin therapy protocols can be complex and challenging to implement at the bedside.
- A need exists for intuitive, real-time decision support tools to optimize glycemic control in critically ill patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and implement a real-time, bedside decision support tool for insulin therapy in the ICU.
- To create a user-friendly interface for managing the hospital's glucose control protocol.
- To improve the efficiency and effectiveness of insulin delivery for ICU patients.
Main Methods:
- A multidisciplinary team of clinicians, analysts, and software engineers collaborated on the tool's development.
- Iterative design processes involving end-users (clinicians) were employed early in development.
- The tool was designed to integrate seamlessly into the nursing workflow.
Main Results:
- A user-friendly, real-time decision support tool for insulin therapy was successfully developed.
- The tool facilitated efficient nursing workflow for glucose management.
- The system was successfully implemented across all five adult ICUs at LDS Hospital.
Conclusions:
- The developed bedside decision support tool effectively provides insulin therapy instructions for ICU patients.
- Early and continuous involvement of clinical end-users was key to the tool's successful design and implementation.
- The tool's successful integration into multiple ICUs demonstrates its potential to improve glycemic management in critical care settings.
Related Concept Videos
01:14SBAR II: Application of SBAR
SBAR is an effective communication tool used by healthcare professionals to communicate patient information accurately. SBAR stands for Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation. For a better understanding, an example is given below.
SBAR Report from a Nurse to a Health Care Provider
S: "Hello, Dr. Smith. This is Jane, RN, from the Med Surg unit. I am calling to tell you about Ms. White in Room 210, who is experiencing increased pain and redness at her incision site. Her recent...
SBAR Report from a Nurse to a Health Care Provider
S: "Hello, Dr. Smith. This is Jane, RN, from the Med Surg unit. I am calling to tell you about Ms. White in Room 210, who is experiencing increased pain and redness at her incision site. Her recent...
01:02Glucose Homeostasis: Regulation of Blood Glucose
Carbohydrates consumed through foods are converted into glucose, a crucial energy source for the body. In the prandial state, high blood glucose levels stimulate the secretion of insulin from the pancreas. Insulin inhibits hepatic glucose production and stimulates glucose uptake and metabolism by muscle and adipose tissue. The excess glucose is converted into glycogen and stored in the liver and muscles.
During fasting, when blood glucose levels are low, the pancreas secretes glucagon. it...
During fasting, when blood glucose levels are low, the pancreas secretes glucagon. it...
01:29Hyperglycemia
Hyperglycemia is an abnormally high blood glucose level. It is diagnosed by fasting glucose ≥126 mg/dL, 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test (or OGTT) ≥200 mg/dL, random glucose ≥200 mg/dL with symptoms, or HbA1c ≥6.5%. However, HbA1c results may be unreliable in certain conditions, such as anemia or hemoglobinopathies, and the diagnosis should be confirmed unless classic symptoms are present. Postprandial hyperglycemia is typically considered significant when glucose levels exceed 180 mg/dL two...
01:16Hormones Regulating Blood Glucose
Insulin is released by beta cells of the pancreas when blood glucose levels are high. It facilitates glucose absorption and utilization in insulin-dependent cells with insulin receptors on their plasma membranes. Insulin promotes glucose uptake by increasing the number of glucose transport proteins in the cell membrane, allowing glucose to enter the cell. As a result, glucose utilization and ATP production are enhanced.
In addition to accelerating glucose uptake and utilization, insulin has...
In addition to accelerating glucose uptake and utilization, insulin has...
01:26Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia is a blood glucose level below 70 mg/dL. It commonly occurs in individuals using insulin or insulin-secreting drugs, but may also arise in non-diabetic conditions. People with type 1 diabetes are at the highest risk because they depend on exogenous insulin. People with type 2 diabetes are also at risk, especially when treated with insulin or medications such as sulfonylureas, which increase insulin release regardless of blood glucose levels. It develops when insulin levels exceed...
01:15Hypoglycemia and Glucagon
Without prolonged fasting, healthy individuals maintain blood glucose levels above 3.5 mM due to a well-adapted neuroendocrine counterregulatory system that effectively prevents acute hypoglycemia, a potentially life-threatening condition. The primary clinical scenarios for hypoglycemia encompass diabetes treatment, inappropriate production of endogenous insulin or insulin-like substances by tumors, and the use of glucose-lowering agents in non-diabetic individuals. Notably, hypoglycemia in the...