Development of a Provincial initiative to improve glucose control in critically ill patients

To describe the development, implementation and initial evaluation of an initiative to improve glucose control in critically ill patients.

Glucose control in critically ill patients was chosen by critical care leaders as a target for improvement. This was an observational study to document changes in processes and measures of glucose control in each intensive care unit (ICU). ICU nurse educators were interviewed to document relevant changes between April 2012 and April 2016.

16 ICUs in British Columbia, Canada.

ICU leaders.

A community of practice (CoP) was formed, guidelines were adopted, two learning sessions were held, and an electronic system to collect data was created. Then, each ICU introduced their own educational and process interventions.

Average hyperglycemic index (area under the curve of serum glucose concentration versus time above the upper limit (10 mmol/l) divided by time on insulin infusion), number of hypoglycemic events (<3.5 mmol/l) divided by time on insulin infusion and standardized mortality rate (actual/predicted hospital mortality) for each 3-month period.

Although there were some isolated points and short trends that indicated special cause variation, there were no major trends over time and no obvious association with any of the process changes for each hospital. However, the average hyperglycemic index was higher in some of the smaller hospitals than in the larger hospitals.

In this, 4-year observation of glucose control in ICUs within a CoP, the lack of sustained improvement suggests the need for more active and durable interventions.