Intensive Insulin Therapy and Pentastarch Resuscitation in Sepsis

This case focuses on the use of intensive insulin therapy with sepsis by asking the question: What are the safety and efficacy of intensive insulin therapy compared with conventional therapy and hydroxyethyl starch (HES) compared with Ringer’s lactate in patients with severe sepsis or septic shock? This study demonstrated that critically ill patients did not benefit from intensive insulin therapy targeting blood glucose levels of 80–110 mg/dL vs. conventional insulin therapy nor from fluid resuscitation with HES vs. Ringer’s lactate. Neither intensive insulin therapy nor fluid resuscitation with HES is currently recommended in major sepsis guidelines.