[How I treat...severe hypoglycemia in a diabetic patient]

Severe hypoglycaemic episodes are defined as need of assistance and may progress to profound coma. They can occur in patients treated with insulin, generally for type 1 diabetes, or in patients receiving sulphonylureas, for type 2 diabetes. Diagnosis is usually obvious, at least in insulin-treated patients, and requires an urgent intervention from the entourage. Such an intervention should comprise the oral administration of carbohydrates with high-glycaemic index if consciousness allows it or, if not, the injection of glucagon. When necessary, people should ask the help of a physician who will inject hypertonic glucose intravenously. Hypoglycaemic coma related to an absolute or relative excess of insulin should, in most cases, be treated at home. In contrast, a hypoglycaemic coma due to a too high dosage of sulphonylurea always requests a hospitalisation in order to carefully supervise the patient and to provide a prolonged intravenous infusion of glucose. It is mandatory that family or entourage members of any diabetic patient at risk to develop severe hypoglycaemia receive a specific education in order to promptly apply the best treatment capable of a rapid and safe recovery from hypoglycaemic coma.