Issues for the management of people with diabetes and COVID-19 in ICU

Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2020 Jul 20;19(1):114. doi: 10.1186/s12933-020-01089-2.

Abstract

In the pandemic "Corona Virus Disease 2019" (COVID-19) people with diabetes have a high risk to require ICU admission. The management of diabetes in Intensive Care Unit is always challenging, however, when diabetes is present in COVID-19 the situation seems even more complicated. An optimal glycemic control, avoiding acute hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia and glycemic variability may significantly improve the outcome. In this case, intravenous insulin infusion with continuous glucose monitoring should be the choice. No evidence suggests stopping angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin-renin-blockers or statins, even it has been suggested that they may increase the expression of Angiotensin-Converting-Enzyme-2 (ACE2) receptor, which is used by "Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to penetrate into the cells. A real issue is the usefulness of several biomarkers, which have been suggested to be measured during the COVID-19. N-Terminal-pro-Brain Natriuretic-Peptide, D-dimer and hs-Troponin are often increased in diabetes. Their meaning in the case of diabetes and COVID-19 should be therefore very carefully evaluated. Even though we understand that in such a critical situation some of these requests are not so easy to implement, we believe that the best possible action to prevent a worse outcome is essential in any medical act.

Keywords: COVID-19; Cardiovascular complications; Diabetes, Intensive Care Unit.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Antihypertensive Agents / therapeutic use
  • Betacoronavirus / pathogenicity*
  • Biomarkers / blood
  • Blood Glucose / drug effects*
  • Blood Glucose / metabolism
  • COVID-19
  • Coronavirus Infections / diagnosis
  • Coronavirus Infections / mortality
  • Coronavirus Infections / therapy*
  • Coronavirus Infections / virology
  • Diabetes Mellitus / blood
  • Diabetes Mellitus / diagnosis
  • Diabetes Mellitus / drug therapy*
  • Diabetes Mellitus / mortality
  • Dyslipidemias / drug therapy
  • Dyslipidemias / mortality
  • Host-Pathogen Interactions
  • Humans
  • Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Hypertension / drug therapy
  • Hypertension / mortality
  • Hypoglycemic Agents / adverse effects
  • Hypoglycemic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Intensive Care Units*
  • Pandemics
  • Pneumonia, Viral / diagnosis
  • Pneumonia, Viral / mortality
  • Pneumonia, Viral / therapy*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / virology
  • Risk Assessment
  • Risk Factors
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Antihypertensive Agents
  • Biomarkers
  • Blood Glucose
  • Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors
  • Hypoglycemic Agents