Ingredients for adequate evaluation of blood glucose algorithms as applied to the critically ill
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* Corresponding author: Tom Van Herpe tom.vanherpe@esat.kuleuven.be
1 Department of Electrical Engineering (ESAT – SCD), Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 10, B-3001 Heverlee, Leuven, Belgium
2 Department of Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Herestraat, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
Critical Care 2009, 13:102 doi:10.1186/cc7115
Published: 7 January 2009Abstract
The article by Eslami and colleagues provides an overview of the indicators used to measure the quality of blood glucose control in patients admitted to the intensive care unit. Each indicator can be related to one or more of the following categories: blood glucose zones, blood glucose levels, time intervals, and features of the insulin titration algorithm. Some important issues (for instance those concerning the clarity of definitions used for glycaemic thresholds) are raised. This systematic review calls for a practical guide to advise the clinician how different blood glucose signals should (ideally) be evaluated and which steps should to be undertaken.