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Mary Korytkowski, Marie E. McDonnell, Guillermo E. Umpierrez, Joel Zonszein, Patient Guide to Managing Hyperglycemia (High Blood Sugar) in the Hospital, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Volume 97, Issue 1, 1 January 2012, Pages 27A–28A, https://doi.org/10.1210/jcem.97.1.zeg27a
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Hyperglycemia is the medical term for blood glucose (sugar) that is too high. High blood glucose (HBG) is a common problem for people with diabetes. Blood glucose can also rise too high for patients in the hospital, even if they do not have diabetes. This patient guide explains why some patients develop HBG when they are hospitalized and how their HBG is treated.
Until about 10 years ago, doctors thought that HBG in hospital patients was not harmful as long as their blood sugar stayed at or below 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). Recent research studies show that HBG above 180 increases the risk of complications in hospital patients. Keeping blood sugar below this level with insulin treatment lowers the risk for these problems.
Most doctors agree that controlling blood sugar so it stays below 180 mg/dl is best for very ill patients in intensive care units (ICU). Less clear is what the best target blood sugar should be for inpatients who are admitted for general surgery or non-critical medical conditions.