Introduction: Early post-transplant hyperglycemia (EPTH) is an independent risk factor for hospital readmissions, acute rejection, infections and developing post-transplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM). Close glycemic control is prudent in the early post-transplant period. The management of EPTH was evaluated among a cohort of kidney transplant recipients, who either received routine care (RC) or dedicated endocrine care (DEC).
Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on kidney transplant recipients from 2019 to 2023. The impact of DEC on post-transplant glycemic control was investigated. Hospitalized patients receiving post-transplant insulin therapy were included. DEC involved at least twice-daily blood glucose (BG) assessment by an endocrinologist, while the RC received usual care. A mixed-model analysis was employed to assess differences in BG trajectories between DEC and RC over an eight-day period. Additionally, various glycemic control metrics were compared, including glucose variability, time-in-range for target BG, rates of hypoglycemia and response to hyperglycemia.
Results: The cohort comprised 113 patients. In the DEC group, 91% had pre-transplant DM compared to 15% in the RC group (p < 0.001). Patients under DEC had higher baseline BG and glycated hemoglobin compared to those under RC (p < 0.001, for both). The DEC group displayed a lower trajectory of BG over time compared to the RC group (p = 0.002). Patients under DEC were more likely to receive insulin if BG measured above 200 mg/dL (66% vs. 46%) and displayed less below-range BG (<110 mg/dL) compared to those under RC (12.9% vs. 23.6%, p < 0.001).
Conclusions: Management of EPTH by DEC improves glycemic outcomes in renal transplant recipients.
Keywords: dedicated endocrine care; glycemic control; post-transplant hyperglycemia.