What is the frequency of Chemsticks on the floor?
A. In the surgical ICU and on the telemetry floor we do glucose checks every hour if necessary, per protocol. On the floor, 70 percent of patients are checked every two hours. It is imperative to follow the frequency of testing as outlined in the protocol to keep The Portland Protocol both effective and safe. It is difficult to wake patients up at night to do a stick. But diabetic patients know they are at increased risk for infection and as such are willing to undergo this inconvenience as long as the benefits are explained to them.
