Jie Hu,1,2,* Lin Ouyang,3,* Jinxiu Li,1 Xia Li,2 Yanjun Zhong,1 Can Hou2 

1Critical Care Medicine Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People’s Republic of China; 2National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, Key Laboratory Diseases Immunology, Ministry of Education, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Critical Care Medicine Center, Guilin Hospital of the Second Xiangya Hospital, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China

*These authors contributed equally to this work

Correspondence: Can Hou, National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, Key Laboratory Diseases Immunology, Ministry of Education, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China, Email houcan84@csu.edu.cn Yanjun Zhong, Critical Care Medicine Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Center South University, Changsha, People’s Republic of China, Email zhongyanjun@csu.edu.cn

Objective: To investigate the potential prognostic value of mean blood glucose (MBG) in hospital for prognosis of COVID-19 adult patients in the intensive unit care unit (ICU).
Methods: A single-site and retrospective study enrolled 107 patients diagnosed as COVID-19 from department of critical care medicine in the Second Xiangya Hospital between October 2022 and June 2023. Demographic information including glucose during ICU hospitalization, comorbidity, clinical data, types of medications and treatment, and clinical outcome were collected. The multivariate logistic and cox regression was used to explore the relationship between blood glucose changes and clinical outcomes of COVID-19 during ICU stay.
Results: In total, 107 adult patients confirmed with COVID-19 were included. Multivariate logistic regression results showed an increase in MBG was associated with ICU mortality rate. Compared with normal glucose group (MBG <= 7.8 mmol/L), the risk of ICU mortality, 7-day mortality and 28-day mortality from COVID-19 were significantly increased in high glucose group (MBG > 7.8mmol/L).
Conclusion: MBG level during ICU hospitalization was strongly correlated to all-cause mortality and co-infection in COVID-19 patients. These findings further emphasize the importance of overall glucose management in severe cases of COVID-19.

Keywords: mean blood glucose, intensive care medicine, ICU mortality, COVID-19