Clinical equipoise regarding glycemic control: a survey of pediatric intensivist perceptions.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the willingness of pediatric intensivists to conduct a pediatric trial of blood glucose control, and to determine if self-reported practices were influenced by adult-specific data over the past 4 yrs. This was a follow-up to our previous 2005 survey.

DESIGN

Electronic survey comprising a 30-item questionnaire.

SETTING

North American PICUs that were members of, or connected to, the Pediatric Acute Lung Injury and Sepsis Network (n = 96 targeted institutions).

PARTICIPANTS

North American pediatric intensivists (n = 209).

INTERVENTIONS

None.

METHODS

We conducted a survey of North American PICUs using a Web-based questionnaire. Invitations were sent to 96 institutions in 37 states/provinces.

RESULTS

Response rate was 68% (141/209). The median definitions of hyperglycemia (150 mg/dL) and hypoglycemia (≤60 mg/dL) were similar to our 2005 survey results. Self-reported practice patterns remain variable. Although 75% of clinician respondents denied a change in clinical practice based on the published literature, the preferred blood glucose target range increased from 80-110 mg/dL in 2005 to 90-140 mg/dL in 2009. Intensivists who preferred a blood glucose target of 80-110 mg/dL decreased from 43% to 6% (p < 0.001). Many respondents (45%) indicated that the acceptable severe hypoglycemia rate (% patients) for a protocol was ≤2.5%. The majority (93%) indicated they would be willing to enroll patients in a pediatric trial of blood glucose control.

CONCLUSIONS

Pediatric intensivists report that they control blood glucose with insulin in critically ill children and do not necessarily adopt adult-specific data or a single uniform blood glucose target. The published evidence does not adequately address PICU clinicians concerns. Unanswered questions and persistent variation in practice suggest a need for a multicenter clinical trial of blood glucose control in critically ill children.