What is the general in-hospital glucose target range for non-critically ill patients?

• A. 80-110 mg/dL
• B. 200-250 mg/dL
• C. 100-140 mg/dL
• D. 140-180 mg/dL

Answer: (D)

Balancing risks is the key. For non-critically ill inpatients, the goal is to keep blood glucose out of the extremes: high enough to avoid dangerous hyperglycemia, but not so tight that hypoglycemia becomes common and harmful. Evidence shows that aiming for a moderate range improves outcomes compared with very tight control, which increased hypoglycemia and didn’t improve survival. That’s why 140-180 mg/dL is recommended as the general in-hospital target: it reduces complications linked to high glucose while keeping the risk of low glucose in check.

Options that are lower (80-110 or 100-140) are generally too strict for most hospitalized patients and raise hypoglycemia risk, while a range like 200-250 mg/dL reflects persistent hyperglycemia and poorer outcomes.