Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Improving IV Insulin Administration in a Community Hospital
12:08

Improving IV Insulin Administration in a Community Hospital

Published on: June 11, 2012

Prospective detection of hyperglycemia in critically ill children using continuous glucose monitoring

Holley F Allen1, Alyssa Rake, Marybeth Roy

  • 1Baystate Children's Hospital. holley.allen@bhs.org

Pediatric Critical Care Medicine : a Journal of the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the World Federation of Pediatric Intensive and Critical Care Societies
|May 15, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Continuous glucose monitoring reveals significant hyperglycemia in critically ill children, often missed by standard lab tests. This highlights the need for advanced monitoring in pediatric intensive care units.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Intensive Care
  • Endocrinology
  • Medical Devices

Background:

  • Hyperglycemia is common in critically ill children.
  • Intermittent laboratory monitoring may underestimate glucose levels.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Evaluate hyperglycemia extent in non-diabetic pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) patients using continuous glucose monitoring (CGM).
  • Compare CGM's hyperglycemia detection with intermittent laboratory monitoring.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective observational study in a 10-bed PICU.
  • 20 non-diabetic children (aged 1-18) requiring >2 days of intensive care.
  • Subcutaneous CGM for 72 hours, with glucose levels compared to laboratory values.

Main Results:

  • 16,337 sensor glucose readings analyzed over a mean of 68 hours per patient.
  • 43% of readings exceeded 125 mg/dL, 27.2% exceeded 140 mg/dL, and 4.0% exceeded 200 mg/dL.
  • Laboratory monitoring detected hyperglycemia less frequently and missed significant hyperglycemic periods.

Conclusions:

  • Non-diabetic children in the PICU experience significant hyperglycemia.
  • Intermittent laboratory monitoring may underestimate the prevalence and duration of hyperglycemia in this population.
Abstract

More Related Videos

Simple Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Freely Moving Mice03:25

Simple Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Freely Moving Mice

Published on: February 24, 2023

Related Concept Videos

Hypoglycemia and Glucagon01:15

Hypoglycemia 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...
Hyperglycemia01:29

Hyperglycemia

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...
Hypoglycemia01:26

Hypoglycemia

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...
Hyperosmolar Hyperglycemic State01:21

Hyperosmolar Hyperglycemic State

Hyperosmolar Hyperglycemic State, or HHS, is a serious and life-threatening complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus. It is characterized by three main features: severe hyperglycemia, profound dehydration, and elevated serum osmolality, all occurring without significant ketoacidosis.HHS typically develops in older adults or individuals with limited access to fluids. This may result from illness, cognitive impairment, or medications such as diuretics or corticosteroids. These factors reduce...
Diabetes Mellitus: Type 2 and Gestational01:22

Diabetes Mellitus: Type 2 and Gestational

Type 2 diabetes, characterized by insulin resistance, arises when the insulin receptors on cells lose responsiveness to insulin, diminishing the cell's capacity to take up glucose, resulting in elevated blood glucose levels. To receive a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, a series of blood glucose tests are necessary to assess whether the blood glucose falls within normal parameters. If the result is out of the normal range, a patient may be diagnosed as prediabetic or diabetic, depending on the...
Type II Diabetes Mellitus III: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnosis01:25

Type II Diabetes Mellitus III: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnosis

Type 2 diabetes mellitus develops gradually and is often asymptomatic in early stages.Clinical ManifestationsWhen symptoms appear, they include fatigue, blurred vision, pruritus, delayed wound healing, and recurrent infections, particularly candidal infections. Peripheral neuropathy may present as numbness or tingling in the extremities. Classic hyperglycemia symptoms—polyuria, polydipsia, and polyphagia—are less common. Most patients are overweight and frequently have associated hypertension...