Reducing Inpatient Hypoglycemia in the General Wards Using Real-time Continuous Glucose Monitoring: The Glucose Telemetry System, a Randomized Clinical Trial

OBJECTIVE: Use of real-time continuous glucose monitoring (RT-CGM) systems in the inpatient setting is considered investigational. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether RT-CGM, using the glucose telemetry system (GTS), can prevent hypoglycemia in the general wards. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: In a randomized clinical trial, insulin-treated patients with type 2 diabetes at high risk for hypoglycemia were recruited. Participants were randomized to RT-CGM/GTS or point-of-care (POC) blood glucose testing. The primary outcome was difference in inpatient hypoglycemia. RESULTS: Seventy-two participants were included in this interim analysis, 36 in the RT-CGM/GTS group and 36 in the POC group. The RT-CGM/GTS group experienced fewer hypoglycemic events (<70 mg/dL) per patient (0.67 [95% CI 0.34–1.30] vs. 1.69 [1.11–2.58], P = 0.024), fewer clinically significant hypoglycemic events (<54 mg/dL) per patient (0.08 [0.03–0.26] vs. 0.75 [0.51–1.09], P = 0.003), and a lower percentage of time spent below range <70 mg/dL (0.40% [0.18–0.92%] vs. 1.88% [1.26–2.81%], P = 0.002) and <54 mg/dL (0.05% [0.01–0.43%] vs. 0.82% [0.47–1.43%], P = 0.017) compared with the POC group. No differences in nocturnal hypoglycemia, time in range 70–180 mg/dL, and time above range >180–250 mg/dL and >250 mg/dL were found between the groups. The RT-CGM/GTS group had no prolonged hypoglycemia compared with 0.20 episodes <54 mg/dL and 0.40 episodes <70 mg/dL per patient in the POC group. CONCLUSIONS: RT-CGM/GTS can decrease hypoglycemia among hospitalized high-risk insulin-treated patients with type 2 diabetes.