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Original article
Available online 16 September 2026

Association between dysglycemia and mortality in patients with delirium: Based on the MIMIC-IV database

Asociación entre disglucemia y mortalidad en pacientes con delirio: basada en la base de datos MIMIC-IV
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Jingwen Zhua,b, Xinyu Zhaoa,b, Wei Panc, Yiyang Hua,b, Zixin Zhaia,b,
Corresponding author
zhaizixin96@163.com

Corresponding author.
a Center for Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College), Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
b Research Institute of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
c Department of Anesthesiology, Shaoxing People's Hospital, Shaoxing, Zhejiang, China
Highlights

  • •

    In patients with delirium with HbA1c <6.5% and 6.5−7.9%, the mean blood glucose level during the ICU stay was positively associated with in-hospital mortality.

  • •

    The coefficient of variation of blood glucose and the cumulative hyperglycemic dose during the ICU stay were positively associated with in-hospital mortality only in patients with HbA1c <6.5%.

  • •

    The association between hypoglycemia during the ICU stay and in-hospital mortality in patients with delirium was independent of underlying chronic hyperglycemia levels.

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Abstract
Objective

To investigate the influence of chronic hyperglycemia on the association between acute glycemic metrics and in-hospital mortality in patients with delirium.

Design

Observational cohort study.

Setting

Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC-IV) database.

Patients or participants

3152 patients with delirium and available HbA1c measurements.

Interventions

None.

Main variables of interest

Chronic hyperglycemia (categories based on HbA1c: <6.5%, 6.5−7.9%, ≥8.0%); acute glycemic metrics (mean glucose, number of hyperglycemic events, glucose variability, cumulative hyperglycemic dose); in-hospital mortality.

Results

Patients with HbA1c 6.5−7.9% showed higher mortality risk compared to the HbA1c <6.5% group (OR = 1.518; P = 0.040). The association between acute hyperglycemia and mortality was modified by chronic glycemic status: mean glucose was associated with mortality only in patients with HbA1c <6.5% (OR = 1.254; P < 0.001) and 6.5−7.9% (OR = 1.190; P = 0.009). The number of hyperglycemic events increased mortality risk only in non-diabetic patients (OR = 1.043; P = 0.005). Glycemic variability and cumulative hyperglycemic dose were associated with mortality exclusively in the HbA1c <6.5% group.

Conclusions

The impact of acute glycemic dysregulation on mortality in delirious patients is moderated by underlying chronic hyperglycemia. Individualized glucose management based on chronic glycemic status may be preferable to uniform strict control.

Keywords:
Dysglycemia
Delirium
Mortality
MIMIC
Resumen
Objetivo

Investigar la influencia de la hiperglucemia crónica en la asociación entre métricas glucémicas agudas y mortalidad intrahospitalaria en pacientes con delirium.

Diseño

Estudio de cohortes observacional.

Ámbito

Base de datos Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC-IV).

Pacientes o participantes

3.152 pacientes con delirium y determinaciones de HbA1c disponibles.

Intervenciones

Ninguna.

Variables de interés principales

Hiperglucemia crónica (categorías basadas en HbA1c: <6,5%; 6,5-7,9%; ≥8,0%); métricas glucémicas agudas (glucemia media, número de eventos hiperglucémicos, variabilidad glucémica, dosis hiperglucémica acumulada); mortalidad intrahospitalaria.

Resultados

Los pacientes con HbA1c 69% mostraron mayor riesgo de mortalidad comparado con el grupo HbA1c <6,5% (OR = 1,518; P = 0,040). La asociación entre hiperglucemia aguda y mortalidad fue modificada por el estado glucémico crónico: la glucemia media se asoció con mortalidad solo en pacientes con HbA1c <6,5% (OR = 1,254; P < 0,001) y 6,5-7,9% (OR = 1,190; P = 0,009). El número de eventos hiperglucémicos aumentó el riesgo de mortalidad únicamente en no diabéticos (OR = 1,043; P = 0,005). La variabilidad glucémica y la dosis hiperglucémica acumulada se asociaron con mortalidad exclusivamente en el grupo HbA1c <6,5%.

Conclusiones

El impacto de las alteraciones glucémicas agudas sobre la mortalidad en pacientes con delirium está modificado por la hiperglucemia crónica subyacente. El manejo individualizado de la glucemia basado en el estado glucémico crónico podría ser preferible a un control estricto uniforme.

Palabras clave:
Disglucemia
Delirio
Mortalidad
MIMIC

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