Design and implementation of GRIP: a computerized glucose control system at a surgical intensive care unit

Abstract Background Tight glucose control by intensive insulin therapy has become a key part of critical care and is an important field of study in acute coronary care. A balance has to be found between frequency of measurements and the risk of hypoglycemia. Current nurse-driven protocols are paper-based and, therefore, rely on simple rules. For safety and efficiency a computer decision support system that employs complex logic may be superior to paper protocols. Methods We designed and implemented GRIP, a stand-alone Java computer program. Our implementation of GRIP will be released as free software. Blood glucose values measured by a point-of-care analyzer were automatically retrieved from the central laboratory database. Additional clinical information was asked from the nurse and the program subsequently advised a new insulin pump rate and glucose sampling interval. Results Implementation of the computer program was uneventful and successful. GRIP treated 179 patients for a total of 957 patient-days. Severe hypoglycemia ( Conclusion A computer driven protocol is a safe and effective means of glucose control at a surgical ICU. Future improvements in the recommendation algorithm may further improve safety and efficiency.