Glucose as the Fifth Vital Sign: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Continuous Glucose Monitoring in a Non-ICU Hospital Setting

OBJECTIVE: The current standard for hospital glucose management is point-of-care (POC) testing. We conducted a randomized controlled trial of real-time continuous glucose monitoring (RT-CGM) compared with POC in a non–intensive care unit (ICU) hospital setting. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 110 adults with type 2 diabetes on a non-ICU floor received RT-CGM with Dexcom G6 versus usual care (UC). RT-CGM data were wirelessly transmitted from the bedside. Hospital telemetry monitored RT-CGM data and notified bedside nursing of glucose alerts and trends. Standardized protocols were used for interventions. RESULTS: The RT-CGM group demonstrated significantly lower mean glucose (M∆ = −18.5 mg/dL) and percentage of time in hyperglycemia >250 mg/dL (−11.41%) and higher time in range 70–250 mg/dL (+11.26%) compared with UC (P values <0.05). Percentage of time in hypoglycemia was very low. CONCLUSIONS: RT-CGM can be used successfully in community-based hospital non-ICU settings to improve glucose management. Continuously streaming glucose readings may truly be the fifth vital sign.