THE EFFECT OF GLUCOSE PRIMING SOLUTIONS IN DIABETIC-PATIENTS UNDERGOING CORONARY-ARTERY BYPASS-GRAFTING - UPDATE 1995

To assess the impact of glucose-containing priming solutions on plasma glucose level in diabetic patients during and after coronary artery b ypass graft surgery, we studied 50 diabetic patients and 10 nondiabeti c patients who underwent bypass graft surgery. Glucose-containing prim ing solutions profoundly elevated plasma glucose levels during and aft er bypass graft surgery. In diabetic patients who received glucose pri mes, intraoperative peak plasma glucose levels averaged 696 48 mg/dl a s compared with 341 +/- 17 mg/dl in diabetic patients who received non glucose primes (p < 0.001). Despite an insulin infusion, diabetic pati ents underwent a much slower decline in plasma glucose levels postoper atively over a 2-hour period than did nondiabetics (who did not receiv e an insulin infusion). We conclude that during and immediately after coronary artery bypass surgery in diabetic patients, it is desirable t o avoid administration of glucose-containing priming solutions, since such solutions profoundly elevate plasma glucose levels.