Effects of steroid stewardship on glycemic control in acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients

Introduction: The adverse effects of corticosteroids are dose-dependent, and guidance is to use the lowest effective dose in most disease states. The study facility recently reported a steroid stewardship program that reduced steroid dosing in acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) patients by 50%. The purpose of this post-hoc analysis was to evaluate the effect of this intervention on glycemic control in hospitalized AECOPD before and after cohorts.

Methods: This was a retrospective post-hoc review of hospitalized patients in a before and after study design (n = 27 in each group). The primary endpoint was the proportion of glucose readings >180 mg/dL. Baseline characteristics, mean glucose levels, and corrective insulin were also collected. Continuous variables were compared with a Student's t-test (or Mann-Whitney U where appropriate) and nominal variables with a chi-square test in R Studio.

Results: There was a significantly higher proportion of glucose >180 mg/dL readings in the pre-intervention cohort: 38% vs. 25% (p = 0.007). The mean glucose levels were numerically lower post-intervention but did not reach statistical significance (160 mg/dL vs. 145 mg/dL, p = 0.27) both in diabetics (192 mg/dL vs. 181 mg/dl, p = 0.69) and non-diabetics (142 mg/dL vs. 125 mg/dL, p = 0.08). The use of correctional insulin was similar: a median of 25 units vs. 24.5 units (p = 0.92).

Conclusion: A stewardship program focused on steroid reduction in AECOPD significantly lowered the proportion of hyperglycemic readings but did not significantly affect mean glucose and corrective insulin usage while hospitalized.