Overview
Introduction
Hypoglycemia is a time sensitive fall in glucose that can impair the brain before the patient can explain what is happening.
Hypoglycemia is a time-sensitive fall in glucose that can impair the brain before the patient can explain what is happening. A practical clinical definition is a plasma glucose concentration below 4.0 mmol/L with autonomic or neuroglycopenic symptoms that improve after carbohydrate. The first question is not only what caused the low glucose, but whether the patient can swallow safely. A conscious patient with a protected swallow receives fast-acting carbohydrate; a patient with reduced consciousness, a seizure, or unsafe swallowing receives nothing by mouth and needs emergency treatment. After glucose is restored, identify the mismatch between glucose-lowering therapy, food intake, activity, alcohol, and illness so the event does not recur.