PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Bakaes, Yianni
AU  - Spitnale, Michael
AU  - Gauthier, Chase
AU  - Kung, Justin E.
AU  - Edelman, David
AU  - Bidwell, Richard
AU  - Shahid, Michel
AU  - Grabowski, Gregory
TI  - Association of Elevated Perioperative Blood Glucose With Complications and Postoperative Outcomes Following Traumatic Spine Surgery
AID  - 10.14444/8627
DP  - 2024 Aug 01
TA  - International Journal of Spine Surgery
PG  - 418--424
VI  - 18
IP  - 4
4099  - https://www.ijssurgery.com/content/18/4/418.short
4100  - https://www.ijssurgery.com/content/18/4/418.full
SO  - Int J Spine Surg2024 Aug 01; 18
AB  - Background Perioperative blood glucose control has been demonstrated to influence outcomes following spine surgery, though this association has not been fully elucidated in patients with traumatic spine injuries. This study sought to determine the association between perioperative blood glucose levels and complications or outcomes in patients undergoing spine surgery due to injury.Methods A retrospective review was conducted to identify patients who underwent spine surgery due to traumatic injuries between 1 March 2020 and 29 September 2022 at a single academic institution. Descriptive factors, complications, and outcomes were compared between those with a postoperative blood glucose level of <200 mg/dL and those with a preoperative glucose of <200 mg/dL.Results Patients with a post- and preoperative blood glucose of ≥200 mg/dL had significantly higher odds of respiratory complications (OR = 2.1, 2.1, P = 0.02, 0.03), skin/wound complications (OR = 2.2, 2.8, P = 0.04, 0.03), and increased hospital length of stay (OR = 9.6, 12.1, P = 0.02, 0.03) compared with those with blood glucose of <200 mg/dL. Those with postoperative glucose ≥200 mg/dL also had significantly higher odds of inpatient mortality (OR = 4.5, P = 0.04) when controlling for confounding factors. Neither pre- nor postoperative blood glucose of ≥200 mg/dL was associated with an improvement in American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale score at the final follow-up when controlling for multiple confounding factors (P = 0.44, 0.06).Conclusion Elevated blood glucose both pre- and postoperatively was associated with an increased rate of postoperative complications and negative postoperative outcomes. However, there was no association between elevated blood glucose levels and neurological recovery following traumatic spinal injury.Level of Evidence 3.