Hyperglycemia in Orthopaedic Trauma Patients: Implications, Management, and Future Directions

Physiologic stress-induced hyperglycemia (SIH) significantly impacts patient outcomes in both nondiabetic and diabetic individuals following orthopaedic trauma. This review synthesizes current literature on SIH's effects, highlighting its association with increased surgical site infections (SSI), extended hospital stays, wound complications, nonunion, need for revision surgery, and mortality. Nondiabetic patients with SIH face worse outcomes compared to euglycemic patients, including a higher risk of deep infections and systemic complications. Diabetic patients experience exacerbated hyperglycemia during trauma, leading to poor wound healing and heightened infection risk. Effective glycemic control, through preoperative optimization, intraoperative monitoring, and postoperative management, is crucial for improving outcomes. Special considerations are discussed for the geriatric population, who are particularly vulnerable to SIH-induced morbidity and mortality. Future directions emphasize developing tailored glycemia management algorithms, utilizing continuous monitoring systems, and fostering multidisciplinary collaboration to optimize care for orthopaedic trauma patients.