Peri-operative management of patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus undergoing non-cardiac surgery using liraglutide, glucose–insulin–potassium infusion or intravenous insulin bolus regimens: a randomised controlled trial

Abstract

In this open-label multicentre randomised controlled trial, we investigated three peri-operative treatment strategies to lower glucose and reduce the need for rescue insulin in patients aged 18–75 years with type-2 diabetes mellitus undergoing non-cardiac surgery. Patients were randomly allocated using a web-based randomisation program to premedication with liraglutide (liraglutide group), glucose–insulin–potassium infusion (insulin infusion group) or insulin bolus regimen (insulin bolus group), targeting a glucose < 8.0 mmol.l −1 . The primary outcome was the between group difference in median glucose levels 1 h after surgery. We analysed 150 patients (liraglutide group n = 44, insulin infusion group n = 53, insulin bolus group n = 53) according to the intention-to-treat principle. Median (IQR [range]) plasma glucose 1 h postoperatively was lower in the liraglutide group compared with the insulin infusion and insulin bolus groups (6.6 (5.6–7.7 [4.2–13.5]) mmol.l −1 vs. 7.5 (6.4–8.3 [3.9–16.6]) mmol.l −1 (p = 0.026) and 7.6 (6.4–8.9 [4.7–13.2]) mmol.l −1 ) p = 0.006, respectively). The incidence of hypoglycaemia and postoperative complications did not differ between the groups. Six patients had pre-operative nausea in the liraglutide group, of which two had severe nausea, compared with no patients in the insulin infusion and insulin bolus groups (p = 0.007). The pre-operative administration of liraglutide stabilised peri-operative plasma glucose levels and reduced peri-operative insulin requirements, at the expense of increased pre-operative nausea rates.