Blood glucose control using an artificial pancreas reduces the workload of ICU nurses

Blood glucose management is one of the important therapies in the intensive care unit (ICU). However, blood glucose management using the sliding-scale method increases the workload of ICU nurses. An artificial pancreas, STG-22, has been developed to continuously monitor blood glucose levels and to maintain them at appropriate levels. In this study, we examined the hypothesis that compared to conventional methods, blood glucose management using the STG-22 reduces the workload of ICU nurses and has a positive impact on awareness regarding the management of blood glucose. This study included 45 patients who underwent elective surgery and were treated at the ICU postoperatively. The patients were separated into the following two groups: (1) blood glucose was maintained using the STG-22 (AP group) and (2) blood glucose was maintained using the sliding-scale method (SS group). In addition, a questionnaire was developed for an awareness survey of ICU nurses (N = 20). The frequency of blood sampling and number of double checks were significantly lower in the AP group (1.3 ± 1.4 vs. 8.9 ± 8.1 times/admission, P < 0.001; 1.0 ± 1.4 vs. 9.8 ± 8.5 times/admission, P < 0.001). The time needed for glucose management per admission was significantly shorter in the AP group (9 ± 13 vs. 27 ± 24 min/admission; P = 0.003). Use of STG-22 for glucose management in the ICU increased the degree of attention given by nurses to glucose management and contributed to an improved sense of security. In conclusion, using the STG-22 in the ICU reduces the workload of ICU nurses compared to using the sliding-scale method. It also contributed to the reduction of the ICU nurses’ anxiety related to the management of blood glucose.