Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 1, 2025

Improving IV Insulin Administration in a Community Hospital
12:08

Improving IV Insulin Administration in a Community Hospital

Published on: June 11, 2012

18.9K

Burden of Hyperglycemia in Patients Receiving Corticosteroids for Severe COVID-19

Kirk B Fetters1,2, Stephen P Judge3, Eric S Daar1,2

  • 1Department of Medicine, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA.

Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Innovations, Quality & Outcomes
|August 15, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Corticosteroids for severe COVID-19 can cause hyperglycemia, especially in patients with diabetes. Those with diabetes required more insulin, highlighting the need for careful glucose monitoring and corticosteroid use in certain patients.

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Critical Care Medicine

Background:

  • Corticosteroid therapy is standard for severe COVID-19.
  • Previous studies on corticosteroids for COVID-19 had limited data on adverse effects like hyperglycemia.
  • The impact of corticosteroids on glucose metabolism in COVID-19 patients with and without diabetes requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the severity of corticosteroid-induced hyperglycemia in hospitalized COVID-19 patients with and without pre-existing diabetes mellitus.
  • To assess the differential insulin requirements for glycemic control in these patient groups during corticosteroid treatment.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective data collection from medical records of hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
  • Analysis of glucose levels and insulin requirements before and after corticosteroid therapy became standard of care.
  • Comparison of hyperglycemia severity and insulin needs between diabetic and non-diabetic patients.

Main Results:

  • Corticosteroid-induced hyperglycemia was significantly more severe in COVID-19 patients with diabetes compared to those without diabetes.
  • Diabetic patients required higher daily doses of correctional insulin during corticosteroid therapy.
  • These findings suggest potential limitations in glucose monitoring for non-diabetic patients and warrant caution with corticosteroid use in specific COVID-19 patient populations.

Conclusions:

  • Diabetes mellitus exacerbates corticosteroid-induced hyperglycemia in severe COVID-19.
  • Intensive glucose monitoring and insulin management are crucial for diabetic COVID-19 patients on corticosteroids.
  • Caution is advised when prescribing corticosteroids to COVID-19 patients, particularly those discharged on supplemental oxygen, due to glycemic risks.

Keywords:
POC, point-of-care

More Related Videos

Glycemic Impact on Knee Osteoarthritis Symptoms on Physical, Radiographic, and Inflammatory Markers among Individuals Aged 50 and Over with Diabetes07:22

Glycemic Impact on Knee Osteoarthritis Symptoms on Physical, Radiographic, and Inflammatory Markers among Individuals Aged 50 and Over with Diabetes

Published on: March 7, 2025

363
Comparing Objective Conjunctival Hyperemia Grading and the Ocular Surface Disease Index Score in Dry Eye Syndrome During COVID-1906:29

Comparing Objective Conjunctival Hyperemia Grading and the Ocular Surface Disease Index Score in Dry Eye Syndrome During COVID-19

Published on: May 25, 2022

2.4K

Related Concept Videos

Overview of Carbohydrate Metabolism01:19

Overview of Carbohydrate Metabolism

Carbohydrate metabolism is a fundamental biochemical process that ensures a constant supply of energy to living cells. The most important carbohydrate is glucose, which can be broken down via glycolysis to enter into the Krebs cycle and eventually lead to the production of ATP through oxidative phosphorylation.
Glucose transport into cells is facilitated by a family of transport proteins called GLUT (Glucose Transporters). GLUT4 is the primary glucose transporter for insulin-stimulated glucose...
1.6K
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...
318
Insulin: Dosing Regimen and Adverse Effects01:16

Insulin: Dosing Regimen and Adverse Effects

Insulin-replacement therapy usually includes both long-acting insulin (basal) and short-acting insulin (to cater to postprandial needs). In a diverse group of type 1 diabetes patients, the average daily insulin dose is typically 0.5-0.7 units/kg body weight. However, obese patients and pubertal adolescents may need more due to insulin resistance.
The basal dose constitutes about 40%-50% of the total daily dose, with the rest as premeal insulin. The mealtime insulin dose should mirror...
236
COPD: Management Using Bronchodilators and Corticosteroids01:26

COPD: Management Using Bronchodilators and Corticosteroids

Chronic obstructive pulmonary isease (COPD) involves a group of progressive lung disorders characterized by persistent airflow limitation and chronic respiratory symptoms. Asthma-COPD Overlap Syndrome (ACOS), encompassing features of both asthma and Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), is a group of progressive lung disorders that includes chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and refractory (non-reversible) asthma. ACOS leads to complex clinical presentations that combine the inflammatory...
284
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...
2.7K
Diabetes: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Complications01:15

Diabetes: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Complications

For most patients, experiencing several weeks of polyuria, polydipsia, fatigue, and significant weight loss may indicate the presence of diabetes. Furthermore, adults displaying the phenotypic appearance of type 2 diabetes (particularly those who are obese and not initially insulin-requiring), may have islet cell autoantibodies, suggesting autoimmune-mediated β cell destruction and a diagnosis of latent autoimmune diabetes of adults (LADA). The categorization of glucose homeostasis is...
668