Usefulness and safety of remote continuous glucose monitoring for a severe COVID-19 patient with diabetes.

Ushigome, Emi; Yamazaki, Masahiro; Hamaguchi, Masahide; Ito, Takamasa; Matsubara, Shin; Tsuchido, Yasuhiro; Kasamatsu, Yu; Nakanishi, Masaki; Fujita, Naohisa; Fukui, Michiaki

Diabetes is associated with mortality and severity of COVID-19. Protecting against infection in healthcare workers at high risk of COVID-19 are critical. This report investigates the usefulness and safety of remote continuous glucose monitoring in a patient with diabetes and severe interstitial pneumonia caused by the coronavirus disease. The Dexcom G4 Platinum continuous glucose monitoring system® was used to monitor blood glucose levels from outside the patient's isolation room. Continuous insulin infusion rates and boluses were determined based on the patient's blood glucose levels. Real-time continuous glucose monitoring made it possible to track blood glucose trends and prevent dramatic variations in blood glucose, although the rate of insulin infusion changed dynamic. Furthermore, the need for healthcare workers to enter the isolation room was minimized because the Dexcom G4 Platinum continuous glucose monitoring system can evaluate from a distance of up to 6.0 meters.