Drop of sugar in breath below what is considered normal (50 - 60 mg/100 ml).
Among its causes, the most common are: lack of insulin in people with diabetes, prolonged fasting, very intense exercise and scarce consumption of food.
Symptoms include sweating, tremors, tachycardia, increased hunger, blurred vision, dizziness, fatigue, headache, irritability and/or drowsiness. In severe cases, seizures, coma, irreversible brain damage and death may occur.
The suspected diagnosis is made clinically, through questioning and physical examination. It is confirmed by a rapid glucose test using a drop of blood.
It must be treated urgently by administering glucose to prevent serious consequences. Depending on the patient's level of consciousness, sugary drinks and carbohydrates are given intravenously or with intramuscular glucagon to increase hepatic glucose production. If the person is taking oral medication for diabetes, low blood sugar levels may recur, so it is advisable to monitor the patient's situation for several hours.
- F John Service, MD, PhD. Philip E Cryer, MD. Hypoglycemia in adults: Clinical manifestations, definition, and causes. UpToDate. Jun 16, 2015.
- Philip E Cryer, MD. Physiologic response to hypoglycemia in normal subjects and patients with diabetes mellitus. UpToDate. Aug 02, 2016.
- Seaquist ER, Anderson J, Childs B, et al. Hypoglycemia and diabetes: a report of a workgroup of the American Diabetes Association and the Endocrine Society. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2013; 98:1845.
- Murad MH, Coto-Yglesias F, Wang AT, et al. Clinical review: Drug-induced hypoglycemia: a systematic review. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2009; 94:741.
- Cryer PE, Axelrod L, Grossman AB, et al. Evaluation and management of adult hypoglycemic disorders: an Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2009; 94:709.
