Glycemic control by a glucose management service and infection rates after liver transplantation

Objective: To present an analysis of glycemic control before and after introduction of a dedicated glucose management service (GMS) and outcomes within 1 year after liver transplantation (LT).Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of patients undergoing LT, who were treated with insulin infusions after LT, before and after introduction of a GMS. Outcome measures within 1 year after LT included graft rejection, infection, prolonged ventilation (>48 hours on a ventilator), and graft survival. A multiple logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between GMS use and outcomes.Results: This study consisted of 73 (35 GMS and 38 non-GMS) organ transplant recipients. The mean perioperative blood glucose level in the GMS group was lower than in the non-GMS group: unadjusted, by 31.1 mg/dL (P =.001); adjusted for pre-insulin drip glucose, age, sex, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score, and type of transplant, by 23.4 mg/dL (P =.020). There were 27 rejection episodes, 48 infections, 26 episodes of prolonged ventilation, and 64 patients with graft survival at 1 year. The infection rate was lower in the GMS group than in the non-GMS group: the unadjusted odds ratio was 0.28 (P =.015); when adjustments were made for pre-insulin drip glucose, pretransplant glucose, age, sex, MELD score, type of transplant, and diabetes status before transplantation, the odds ratio was 0.24 (95% confidence interval, 0.06 to 0.97; P =.045). No significant associations were noted between GMS group and rejection rates, prolonged ventilation, or graft survival.Conclusion: In this study of LT patients, a GMS was associated with improved glycemic control and reduced postoperative infections. Further studies investigating effects of strict glycemic control after LT are warranted.