Impacts of insulin infusion protocol on blood glucose level and outcomes in acute coronary syndrome patients with diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Abstract

Background: Acute coronary syndrome is the most common disease in the world. Several studies suggest that hyperglycemia is associated with poor clinical outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of insulin infusion protocol and conventional therapy on the blood glucose level and outcomes in acute coronary syndrome patients with diabetes mellitus.

Materials and Methods: We studied 64 patients (32 in each group) with acute coronary syndrome and acute myocardial infarction, who were admitted to the coronary care unit in a hospital in Isfahan, Iran in 2012. Inclusion criterion was blood sugar (BS) of more than 180 mg/dl on admission. Patients in the intervention group received insulin with East Jefferson insulin infusion protocol for at least 4 h, and in the control group, the subjects received subcutaneous insulin (conventional therapy) for at least for 48  h. Independent t‑test, Student’s t‑test, and Chi‑square test were used to analyze the data.

Results: Groups were matched for baseline characteristics. Blood glucose was significantly reduced in the two groups (P < 0.001), and the mean blood glucose level in the interaction group was significantly less than in the control group (P = 0.0002). Hypoglycemia was 31.2% and 25% in the intervention and control groups, respectively. The frequency of hypoglycemia did not differ significantly between the two groups (P = 0.75). Time to reach target insulin level differed between the two groups (4.75 h in the intervention group and 36.93 h in the control group; P < 0.001).

Conclusions: Our research showed that use of insulin infusion protocol is better in maintaining glycemia control compared to subcutaneous sliding scale method. The protocol allows nurses to commence and maintain the infusion more effectively and safely compared to the traditional method.

Key words: Acute coronary syndrome, diabetes mellitus, insulin infusion systems, Iran, nursing