Management of Mean Hyperglycaemia Levels in ICU Patients Research Paper

Management of Mean Hyperglycaemia Levels in ICU Patients - Research Paper Example There is enough evidence to believe that the aftereffects faced by sufferers of persistent hyperglycemia can be mitigated purely through better monitoring and management of the patients’ states of health in the Intensive Care Units. However, the exact causes of negligence, mishandling and below par medication of the patients are still not established; nor do we know exactly how these phenomena affect the patients’ organs and organ systems, which phenomenon occurs in what circumstances, and what is implied by each occurrence in medical terms. Problem Statement Diabetes mellitus has a unique association with other acute and chronic disorders such as congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stroke, kidney failure, etc. During hospitalization, patients often encounter hyperglycemia. This is due to the increase in stress hormone circulation (Trence, Kelly, & Hirsch, 2003). It has been experimentally proven that high levels of glucose may have traumati c effects on the hemodynamic, immune and vascular systems. It has also been documented that the patients of hyperglycemia usually encounter subsequent health complications in the intensive care units (Golden, Peart-Vigilance, Kao, & Brancati, 1999). For instance, if the glucose levels are high after cardiac surgery, the chances of infection in the region of surgery increase (Zerr et al., 1997). Figure 1. Relationship between Hyperglycemia and Stress Hormone Circulation. Adapted from "Management of Hyperglycemia in the Hospital Setting" by Silvio E. Inzucchi, 2006. The New England Journal of Medicine, 18, p. 1904. The observations regarding the relationship of hyperglycemia with disorders of endocrine, cardiac and metabolic systems are not confined to patients of chronic... The research proposal is hereby complete and may be put forward for a practical study based on it. This proposal is of course, a theoretical briefing about the academic way of researching a very particular topic. It is intended to be a guideline for the specific tasks to be performed in carrying out a research study on the management of mean hyperglycemia levels of patients in ICUs. While the proposal is intended to be not lengthy nor incomprehensive or inconclusive, it is limited in scope anyhow by the project’s academic nature and by the requirements of this course and the level of study. Also, the project’s uniqueness is emphasized in the fact that it proposes a quantitative study while research projects regarding an area dealing strictly with human interactions, such as nursing, are most usually qualitative. While there may be some value in utilizing this proposal for some research, there certainly was a lot of useful learning during the performance of this project. It taught me about the value of choosing the right topic for a research: it is what determines the experience in drafting the rest of the proposal. It seems a bit presumptuous to try to adapt a yet-obscure topic for a research study of this level.