Hermanides and colleagues recently reviewed all available evidence on blood glucose targets in the TBI patient. Read their finding in this article in Critical Care.

When comparing strict glycaemic regimens with more liberal strategies they found no significant differences in patient-important outcomes, contrary to earlier findings. They did reveal an increased risk of hypoglycaemia, however. I’ll let them summarise below in their own words….

“Intensive glycaemic control does not reduce mortality in patients with TBI but greatly increases the risk of hypoglycaemia. A signal toward improved neurological outcome with intensive glycaemic control in patients post TBI warrants investigation. This may be best undertaken using safer approaches to glycaemic control that reduce the risk of hypoglycaemia, using stratified blood sugar targets that take account of physiological heterogeneity in patients with TBI.”