Abstract
Diabetes mellitus is a common, costly, chronic disease associated with a disproportionate rate of hospitalization. Hyperglycemia contributes to increased hospital-related morbidity and costs for this group of patients. Recognizing the impact of hyperglycemia and comorbidities of diabetes on hospital outcomes will motivate comprehensive inpatient diabetes care practices. Attention to certain basic principles allows the clinician to safely improve glucose control in the hospital and to maximize the long-term benefit of the hospitalization.