Diabetes and Palliative Care

Overview

Diabetes prevalence in palliative care is 10-15%. Most hospice patients are treated with insulin. The target glucose level is high in order to decrease the risk of hypoglycemia. Glucose level is usually monitored using capillary blood glucose once to three times daily. The aim of the research is to simplify this pattern of care in end-of-life patients. It will evaluate whether the non invasive measurement of glucose in urine could replace the measurement of capillary blood glucose. The first objective will be to assess the performance of the measurement of glucosuria using urinary dip stix to predict that the blood glucose level is within the target range. Due to the high glucose target, hyperglycemia is extremely frequent. However, symptoms of hyperglycemia are unfrequently reported. They may be unspecific and/or masked in end-of-life patients due to terminal disease and medication. The second objective of the study will be to define symptoms of hyperglycemia in these patients.

This is a prospective study involving several palliative care units in France. Glycemia and glycosuria will be measured in the same patients. Symptoms that could be related to hyperglycemia will be assessed in relation with the concomitant blood glucose level. Main investigations : Glycosuria and cetonuria will be measured using a dip stix during each nursing care. Glycemia will be measured before breakfast and before diner. Pain caused by finger pricking for the measurement of glycemia will be evaluated using a verbal scale. Symptoms will be evaluated at the time of each glucose measurement first with open questions then with a list of potential symptoms of hyperglycemia.

Conditions