Managing Patients with Insulin Pumps and Continuous Glucose Monitors in the Hospital: to Wear or Not to Wear

Comparative effects of insulin pump and injection on gestational diabetes mellitus pregnancy outcomes and serum biomarkers

BACKGROUND

Insulin injection is the basic daily drug treatment for diabetic patients.

AIM

To evaluate the comparative impacts of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII).

METHODS

Based on the treatment modality received, the patients were allocated into two cohorts: The CSII group and the multiple daily injections (MDI) group, with each cohort comprising 210 patients. Comparative assessments were made regarding serum levels of serum-secreted frizzled-related protein 5, homocysteine, and C1q/TNF-related protein 9. Furthermore, outcomes such as fasting plasma glucose, 2-hour postprandial glucose levels, pain assessment scores, and the incidence of complications were evaluated post-treatment.

RESULTS

The CSII group displayed notably lower fasting plasma glucose and 2-h postprandial glucose levels in comparison to the MDI group (P < 0.05). Subsequent analysis post-treatment unveiled a significantly higher percentage of patients reporting no pain in the CSII group (60.00%) in contrast to the MDI group (36.19%) (P < 0.05). Additionally, the CSII group exhibited a markedly reduced occurrence of fetal distress and premature rupture of membranes compared to the MDI group (P < 0.05). However, there were no significant variances observed in other pregnancy outcomes between the two groups (P > 0.05). A statistical analysis revealed a significant difference in the incidence of complications between the groups (χ² = 11.631, P = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The utilization of CSII via an insulin pump, as opposed to MDI, can significantly enhance the management of insulin administration in patients with GDM by diversifying the sites of insulin delivery. This approach not only promotes optimal glycemic control but also regulates metabolic factors linked to blood sugar, reducing the likelihood of adverse pregnancy outcomes and complications. The clinical relevance and importance of CSII in GDM management highlight its wide-ranging clinical usefulness.

Review Article - Diabetes Technology in the Hospital: An Update

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

There have been many developments in diabetes technology in recent years, with continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), insulin pump therapy (CSII) and automated insulin delivery (AID) becoming progressively accepted in outpatient diabetes care. However, the use of such advanced diabetes technology in the inpatient setting is still limited for several reasons, including logistical challenges and staff training needs. On the other hand, hospital settings with altered diet and stress-induced hyperglycemia often pose challenges to tight glycemic control using conventional treatment tools. Integrating smarter glucose monitoring and insulin delivery devices into the increasingly technical hospital environment could reduce diabetes-related morbidity and mortality. This narrative review describes the most recent literature on the use of diabetes technology in the hospital and suggests avenues for further research.

RECENT FINDINGS

Advanced diabetes technology has the potential to improve glycemic control in hospitalized people with and without diabetes, and could add particular value in certain conditions, such as nutrition therapy or perioperative management. Taken together, CGM allows for more accurate and patient-friendly follow-up and ad hoc titration of therapy. AID may also provide benefits, including improved glycemic control and reduced nursing workload. Before advanced diabetes technology can be used on a large scale in the hospital, further research is needed on efficacy, accuracy and safety, while implementation factors such as cost and staff training must also be overcome.

Home Insulin Pump Use in Hospitalized Children With Type 1 Diabetes

Importance

Pediatric data on inpatient home insulin pumps are absent in the literature. Understanding safety of home insulin pumps, managed by patients or caregivers, during times of illness will help diabetes technology securely move into pediatric hospitals.

Objective

To examine whether insulin can be safely and accurately delivered to hospitalized children through home insulin pumps when managed by patients or caregivers.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This single-center, retrospective, observational cohort study included children with insulin-dependent diabetes admitted to a tertiary children's hospital from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2021. In all these patients, diabetes was the primary or secondary diagnosis on admission.

Exposure

Insulin delivery via home insulin pump, hospital insulin pump, or subcutaneous injection.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Hyperglycemia (glucose, >250 mg/dL) and hypoglycemia (glucose, <45 mg/dL) rates (quantified as the proportion of total insulin-days), glucose variability, and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) recurrences were compared for hospital pumps (manual mode), home pumps (manual mode), and subcutaneous injections using bivariate tests.

Results

There were 18 096 insulin-days among 2738 patients aged 0.5 to 25 years (median age, 15.8 years [IQR, 12.3-18.3 years]). Overall, 990 (5.5%) of insulin-days involved hospital insulin pumps, and 775 (4.3%) involved home pumps. A total of 155 insulin-days (15.7%) involving hospital pumps were hyperglycemic, compared with 209 (27.0%) involving home pumps and 7374 (45.2%) involving injections (P < .001). Moderate hypoglycemia days comprised 31 insulin-days (3.1%) involving hospital pumps compared with 35 (4.5%) involving home pumps and 830 (5.1%) involving injections (P = .02). Severe hypoglycemia did not differ significantly according to insulin delivery method. Two patients using injections (0.01%) developed DKA; no patients using hospital or home pumps developed DKA.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this cohort study, home insulin pump use was found to be safe in a children's hospital regarding hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia. These data support use of home insulin pumps during pediatric admissions in patients who do not require intensive care and without active DKA.

7. Diabetes Technology: Standards of Care in Diabetes-2024

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) "Standards of Care in Diabetes" includes the ADA's current clinical practice recommendations and is intended to provide the components of diabetes care, general treatment goals and guidelines, and tools to evaluate quality of care. Members of the ADA Professional Practice Committee, an interprofessional expert committee, are responsible for updating the Standards of Care annually, or more frequently as warranted. For a detailed description of ADA standards, statements, and reports, as well as the evidence-grading system for ADA's clinical practice recommendations and a full list of Professional Practice Committee members, please refer to Introduction and Methodology. Readers who wish to comment on the Standards of Care are invited to do so at professional.diabetes.org/SOC.

A framework for integrating artificial intelligence for clinical care with continuous therapeutic monitoring

The complex relationships between continuously monitored health signals and therapeutic regimens can be modelled via machine learning. However, the clinical implementation of the models will require changes to clinical workflows. Here we outline ClinAIOps ('clinical artificial-intelligence operations'), a framework that integrates continuous therapeutic monitoring and the development of artificial intelligence (AI) for clinical care. ClinAIOps leverages three feedback loops to enable the patient to make treatment adjustments using AI outputs, the clinician to oversee patient progress with AI assistance, and the AI developer to receive continuous feedback from both the patient and the clinician. We lay out the central challenges and opportunities in the deployment of ClinAIOps by means of examples of its application in the management of blood pressure, diabetes and Parkinson's disease. By enabling more frequent and accurate measurements of a patient's health and more timely adjustments to their treatment, ClinAIOps may substantially improve patient outcomes.

Current Technologies for Managing Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus and Their Impact on Quality of Life-A Narrative Review

Type 1 diabetes mellitus is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects millions of people and generates high healthcare costs due to frequent complications when inappropriately managed. Our paper aimed to review the latest technologies used in T1DM management for better glycemic control and their impact on daily life for people with diabetes. Continuous glucose monitoring systems provide a better understanding of daily glycemic variations for children and adults and can be easily used. These systems diminish diabetes distress and improve diabetes control by decreasing hypoglycemia. Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusions have proven their benefits in selected patients. There is a tendency to use more complex systems, such as hybrid closed-loop systems that can modulate insulin infusion based on glycemic readings and artificial intelligence-based algorithms. It can help people manage the burdens associated with T1DM management, such as fear of hypoglycemia, exercising, and long-term complications. The future is promising and aims to develop more complex ways of automated control of glycemic levels to diminish the distress of individuals living with diabetes.

7. Diabetes Technology: Standards of Care in Diabetes-2023

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) "Standards of Care in Diabetes" includes the ADA's current clinical practice recommendations and is intended to provide the components of diabetes care, general treatment goals and guidelines, and tools to evaluate quality of care. Members of the ADA Professional Practice Committee, a multidisciplinary expert committee, are responsible for updating the Standards of Care annually, or more frequently as warranted. For a detailed description of ADA standards, statements, and reports, as well as the evidence-grading system for ADA's clinical practice recommendations and a full list of Professional Practice Committee members, please refer to Introduction and Methodology. Readers who wish to comment on the Standards of Care are invited to do so at professional.diabetes.org/SOC.

[Hospital diabetes management (Update 2023)]

This position statement presents the recommendations of the Austrian Diabetes Association for diabetes management of adult patients during inpatient stay. It is based on the current evidence with respect to blood glucose targets, insulin therapy and treatment with oral/injectable antidiabetic drugs during inpatient hospitalization. Additionally, special circumstances such as intravenous insulin therapy, concomitant therapy with glucocorticoids and use of diabetes technology during hospitalization are discussed.

Hybrid Closed-Loop Insulin Pump Technology Can Be Safely Used in the Inpatient Setting

BACKGROUND

Hybrid closed-loop (HCL) systems, also known as automated insulin delivery systems, are a rapidly growing technology in diabetes management. Because more patients are using these systems in the outpatient setting, it is important to also assess inpatient safety to determine whether HCL use can be continued when those patients become hospitalized.

METHODS

The records of patients using HCL technology on admission to our hospital between June 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021, were analyzed.

RESULTS

The final analysis included 71 patients divided into 3 categories based on their pump use as an inpatient: (1) HCL users; (2) manual pump users; and (3) pump removed. All cohorts were similar in age, sex, race, hemoglobin A1C at admission, and in Medicare Severity Diagnosis Related Group. Pairwise comparisons indicated that patient-stay mean glucose levels, frequency of patient-specific hyperglycemic measurements, and frequency of hypoglycemic events were similar between all groups. No adverse events, particularly occurrences of diabetic ketoacidosis, pump site complications or infection, or equipment malfunction, were reported.

CONCLUSION

This preliminary case series review indicates that continued use of HCL technology in the hospital is safe. Moreover, glycemic control in HCL users was comparable with that in those using insulin pump with manual settings and those converted to basal-bolus insulin therapy.

16. Diabetes Care in the Hospital: Standards of Care in Diabetes-2023

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) "Standards of Care in Diabetes" includes the ADA's current clinical practice recommendations and is intended to provide the components of diabetes care, general treatment goals and guidelines, and tools to evaluate quality of care. Members of the ADA Professional Practice Committee, a multidisciplinary expert committee, are responsible for updating the Standards of Care annually, or more frequently as warranted. For a detailed description of ADA standards, statements, and reports, as well as the evidence-grading system for ADA's clinical practice recommendations and a full list of Professional Practice Committee members, please refer to Introduction and Methodology. Readers who wish to comment on the Standards of Care are invited to do so at professional.diabetes.org/SOC.

Preparing for Colonoscopy in People with Diabetes: A Review with Suggestions for Clinical Practice

People with diabetes have an increased risk of adverse events during the peri-colonoscopy period, including hypoglycemia, lactic acidosis, diabetic ketoacidosis and acute kidney injury. This is secondary to inadequate dietary modification, the bowel preparation and antihyperglycemic agent modification. With the availability of many new diabetes agents, endoscopists need updated guidance. This review of current literature provides a practical approach to antihyperglycemic agent modification in the context of colonoscopy preparation, as well as guidelines on dietary changes, the bowel preparation itself and glucose monitoring.

Insulin Pumps and Hybrid Close Loop Systems Within Hospital: A Scoping Review and Practical Guidance From the Joint British Diabetes Societies for Inpatient Care

This article is the second of a two-part series providing a scoping review and summary of the Joint British Diabetes Societies for Inpatient Care (JBDS-IP) guidelines on the use of diabetes technology in people with diabetes admitted to hospital. The first part reviewed the use of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in hospital. In this article, we focus on the use of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII; insulin pumps) and hybrid closed-loop systems in hospital. JBDS-IP advocates enabling people who can self-manage and are willing and capable of using CSII to continue doing so as they would do out of hospital. CSII should be discontinued if the individual is critically ill or hemodynamically unstable. For individuals on hybrid closed-loop systems, the system should be discontinued from auto-mode, and may be used individually (as CGM only or CSII only, if criteria are met). Continuing in closed-loop mode may only be done so under specialist guidance from the Diabetes Team, where the diabetes teams are comfortable and knowledgeable about the specific devices used. Health care organizations need to have clear local policies and guidance to support individuals using these wearable technologies, and ensure the relevant workforce is capable and skilled enough to ensure their safe use within the hospital setting.

Continuous Glucose Monitoring Within Hospital: A Scoping Review and Summary of Guidelines From the Joint British Diabetes Societies for Inpatient Care

Increasing numbers of people, particularly with type 1 diabetes (T1D), are using wearable technologies. That is, continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) pumps, continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems, and hybrid closed-loop systems, which combine both these elements. Given over a quarter of all people admitted to hospital have diabetes, there is a need for clinical guidelines for when people using them are admitted to hospital. The Joint British Diabetes Societies for Inpatient Care (JBDS-IP) provide a scoping review and summary of guidelines on the use of diabetes technology in people with diabetes admitted to hospital.JBDS-IP advocates enabling people who can self-manage and use their own diabetes technology to continue doing so as they would do out of hospital. Whilst people with diabetes are recommended to achieve a target of 70% time within range (3.9-10.0 mmol/L [70-180 mg/dL]), this can be very difficult to achieve whilst unwell. We therefore recommend targeting hypoglycemia prevention as a priority, keeping time below 3.9 mmol/L (70 mg/dL) at < 1%, being aware of looming hypoglycemia if glucose is between 4.0 and 5.9 mmol/L (72-106 mg/dL), and consider intervening, particularly if there is a downward CGM trend arrow.Health care organizations need clear local policies and guidance to support individuals using diabetes technologies, and ensure the relevant workforce is capable and skilled enough to ensure their safe use within the hospital setting. The current set of guidelines is divided into two parts. Part 1, which follows below, outlines the guidance for use of CGM in hospital. The second part outlines guidance for use of CSII and hybrid closed-loop in hospital.

Supporting the Use of a Person's Own Diabetes Technology in the Inpatient Setting

The use of diabetes technology, including insulin pumps, continuous glucose monitoring devices, and automated insulin delivery systems, has increased significantly in recent years. As more people with diabetes adopt technology in the outpatient setting, we are seeing these devices more frequently in the inpatient setting. This review offers best-practice guidelines for the continuation of personal diabetes technology use in the inpatient setting. It describes policy and guideline stipulations, roles and responsibilities, and device- and brand-specific considerations. Although these devices are not approved for inpatient use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, there is general expert consensus that the continuation of personal diabetes devices during hospitalization is appropriate for patients who have sufficient knowledge, are not critically ill, and retain sufficient mental capacity during an acute illness. Health care systems and inpatient providers need to understand the benefits and limitations of personal diabetes technology use during hospitalization.

Leeno: Type 1 diabetes management training environment using smart algorithms

A growing number of Type-1 Diabetes (T1D) patients globally use insulin pump technologies to monitor and manage their glucose levels. Although recent advances in closed-loop systems promise automated pump control in the near future, most patients worldwide still use open-loop continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) devices which require close monitoring and continuous regulation. Apart from specialized diabetes units, hospital physicians and nurses generally lack necessary training to support the growing number of patients on insulin pumps. Most hospital staff and providers worldwide have never seen or operated an insulin pump device. T1D patients at nurseries, schools, in hospital emergency rooms, surgery theatres, and in-patient units all require close monitoring and active management. The lack of knowledge and necessary training to support T1D patients on pumps puts them at life-threatening risks. In this work, we develop a training simulation software for hospitals to educate and train their physicians and nurses on how to effectively operate a T1D pump and reduce hypoglycemia events. The software includes clinically validated T1D virtual patients that users can monitor and adjust their pump settings to improve glycemic outcomes. We develop a Fuzzy-Logic learning algorithm that helps guide users learn how to improve pump parameters for these patients. We recruited and trained 13 nurses on the software and report their improvement in pump administration, basal rates adjustments, and ICR modulation.

Hospital Diabetes Meeting 2022

The annual Virtual Hospital Diabetes Meeting was hosted by Diabetes Technology Society on April 1 and April 2, 2022. This meeting brought together experts in diabetes technology to discuss various new developments in the field of managing diabetes in hospitalized patients. Meeting topics included (1) digital health and the hospital, (2) blood glucose targets, (3) software for inpatient diabetes, (4) surgery, (5) transitions, (6) coronavirus disease and diabetes in the hospital, (7) drugs for diabetes, (8) continuous glucose monitoring, (9) quality improvement, (10) diabetes care and educatinon, and (11) uniting people, process, and technology to achieve optimal glycemic management. This meeting covered new technology that will enable better care of people with diabetes if they are hospitalized.

7. Diabetes Technology: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes-2022

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) "Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes" includes the ADA's current clinical practice recommendations and is intended to provide the components of diabetes care, general treatment goals and guidelines, and tools to evaluate quality of care. Members of the ADA Professional Practice Committee, a multidisciplinary expert committee (https://doi.org/10.2337/dc22-SPPC), are responsible for updating the Standards of Care annually, or more frequently as warranted. For a detailed description of ADA standards, statements, and reports, as well as the evidence-grading system for ADA's clinical practice recommendations, please refer to the Standards of Care Introduction (https://doi.org/10.2337/dc22-SINT). Readers who wish to comment on the Standards of Care are invited to do so at professional.diabetes.org/SOC.

Continuous Glucose Monitoring in the Hospital

Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) have suddenly become part of routine care in many hospitals. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has necessitated the use of new technologies and new processes to care for hospitalized patients, including diabetes patients. The use of CGMs to automatically and remotely supplement or replace assisted monitoring of blood glucose by bedside nurses can decrease: the amount of necessary nursing exposure to COVID-19 patients with diabetes; the amount of time required for obtaining blood glucose measurements, and the amount of personal protective equipment necessary for interacting with patients during the blood glucose testing. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is now exercising enforcement discretion and not objecting to certain factory-calibrated CGMs being used in a hospital setting, both to facilitate patient care and to obtain performance data that can be used for future regulatory submissions. CGMs can be used in the hospital to decrease the frequency of fingerstick point of care capillary blood glucose testing, decrease hyperglycemic episodes, and decrease hypoglycemic episodes. Most of the research on CGMs in the hospital has focused on their accuracy and only recently outcomes data has been reported. A hospital CGM program requires cooperation of physicians, bedside nurses, diabetes educators, and hospital administrators to appropriately select and manage patients. Processes for collecting, reviewing, storing, and responding to CGM data must be established for such a program to be successful. CGM technology is advancing and we expect that CGMs will be increasingly used in the hospital for patients with diabetes.