Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems have been explored in a few studies for non-intensive care unit (ICU) patients (1-3). During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) became a concern. On 1 April 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced it would not object to the use of CGM systems to assist with COVID-19 patient monitoring (4). This study was conducted to explore the feasibility of using CGM in noncritically ill patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Non-ICU adult COVID-19-positive patients receiving subcutaneous insulin injection and point of care (POC) glucose testing (Accu-Chek Inform II) were eligible to participate. Exclusion criteria included unstable glucose levels (POC glucose ,70 or .350 mg/dL) at entry, hypotension, significant edema, being on dialysis, being postsurgical or with planned surgery/computed tomography/ MRI, and taking hydroxyurea, ascorbic acid, or acetaminophen .1 g every 6 h. Participants gave informed consent. The protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
AbstractBurgeoning evidence over the last 25 years has identified myriad synthetic chemicals with the capacity to alter various aspects of hormone synthesis and action. These endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have been linked to various diseases, including reproductive disorders, metabolic diseases, and developmental abnormalities among others. Exposure to EDCs arises from industrial activity, use of personal and home care products, and consumption of contaminated food and water; however, the role of healthcare in exposing individuals to EDCs is grossly underappreciated. Indeed, through the use of medications as well as medical equipment and devices, healthcare providers are unknowing mediators of exposure to EDCs, chemicals that might not only promote disease but that may also antagonize the efficacy of treatments. The ethical implications of provider-dependent exposure are profound. A failure to disclose the endocrine-disrupting properties of medical interventions violates core principles of non-maleficence, patient autonomy, and justice as well as the practice of informed consent. Furthermore, physicians’ lack of knowledge regarding EDCs in medical practice artificially skews risk-benefit calculations that are fundamental to informed medical decision-making. To combat this underappreciated ethical challenge, urgent action is required. Healthcare providers must be educated about endocrine disruption. Known EDCs, defined by endocrinologists, should be clearly labeled on all medical products, and all medication components and devices should be screened for endocrine-disrupting properties. Finally, communication strategies must be devised to empower patients with knowledge about these risks. Providing ethically-competent care requires an open acknowledgment of endocrine risks imposed by the medical community that have heretofore been ignored.
Objective: To describe a patient who developed euglycaemic diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in the setting of SGLT2 inhibitor use precipitated by COVID-19. Patient and methods: A 52-year-old male with type II diabetes on empagliflozin and no history of DKA presented with symptoms of COVID-19 as well as laboratory findings consistent with euglycaemic DKA. His hospital course was complicated by recurrent episodes of euglycaemic DKA as well as hyperglycaemic DKA. Conclusion: SGLT2 inhibitors should be held as early as possible in COVID-19 cases due to the risk of euglycaemic DKA. These patients should also have more intense glucose monitoring.
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