An elevated glycemic gap predicts adverse outcomes in diabetic patients with necrotizing fasciitis

PLoS One. 2019 Oct 3;14(10):e0223126. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223126. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

Background: Diabetes is the most common comorbidity of necrotizing fasciitis (NF), but the effect of stress-induced hyperglycemia (SIH) on diabetic patients with NF has never been investigated. The aim of this study was to assess whether SIH, as determined by the glycemic gap between admission glucose levels and A1C-derived average glucose levels, predicts adverse outcomes in diabetic patients hospitalized with NF.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the glycemic gap and clinical outcomes in 252 diabetic patients hospitalized due to NF from 2011 to 2018 in a single medical center in Taiwan. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the optimal cutoff values for predicting adverse outcomes. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to identify significant predictors of adverse outcomes.

Results: In total, 194 diabetic NF patients were enrolled. Compared with patients without adverse outcomes, patients with adverse outcomes had significantly higher glycemic gaps, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II scores and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels; lower albumin and hemoglobin levels; greater incidence of limb loss; and longer hospital and intensive care unit stays. The glycemic gap positively correlates with the laboratory risk indicator for NF scores, APACHE II scores and CRP levels. A glycemic gap of 146 mg/dL was the optimal cutoff value for predicting adverse outcomes using the ROC curve. Compared with patients with glycemic gaps ≤146 mg/dL, those with glycemic gaps >146 mg/dL had higher APACHE II scores and incidence rates of adverse outcomes, especially bacteremia and acute kidney injury. Multivariate analysis revealed that a glycemic gap >146 mg/dL and APACHE II score >15 were independent predictors of adverse outcomes, while the presence of hyperglycemia at admission was not.

Conclusions: An elevated glycemic gap was significantly independently associated with adverse outcomes in diabetic NF patients. Further prospective studies are warranted to validate the role of the glycemic gap in NF patients with diabetes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • APACHE
  • Blood Glucose / analysis
  • Diabetes Mellitus / blood
  • Diabetes Mellitus / pathology*
  • Fasciitis, Necrotizing / blood
  • Fasciitis, Necrotizing / complications*
  • Fasciitis, Necrotizing / microbiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hyperglycemia / blood
  • Hyperglycemia / complications*
  • Logistic Models
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • ROC Curve
  • Risk Factors
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Blood Glucose

Grants and funding

This study was supported by a grant from Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan (TSGH-C107-044, TSGH-C108-065); the National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan (MAB-106-066, MAB-107-012); and the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan (MOST 107-2314-B-016-043, MOST 107-2314-B-016-071). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.