Related Experiment Videos
[Unexpected hypoglycemia in hospitalized patients]
A J Cruz Jentoft1, I Villar, P Carreras
1Servicio de Geriatría, Hospital Universitario San Carlos, Madrid.
Revista Clinica Espanola
|October 1, 1992
Summary
Unsuspected hypoglycemia is common in hospitalized patients, often linked to severe illnesses beyond diabetes. This condition, frequently unnoticed, is associated with significantly high hospital mortality rates, especially with multiple risk factors.
Area of Science:
- Internal Medicine
- Endocrinology
- Critical Care Medicine
Context:
- Hypoglycemia (blood glucose < or = 3.30 mmol/l) can occur in hospitalized patients for various reasons.
- Identifying risk factors and outcomes is crucial for patient management.
Purpose:
- To analyze episodes of unsuspected hypoglycemia in hospitalized patients.
- To identify associated risk factors, symptoms, and treatment patterns.
- To determine the impact of hypoglycemia on hospital mortality.
Summary:
- Analyzed 40 episodes of hypoglycemia in 36 patients over seven months.
- Only 22% of patients were diabetic; common risk factors included malnutrition (47%), infections (47%), liver disease (22%), renal failure (19%), and neoplasias (17%).
- Hypoglycemia was often asymptomatic (86%) and untreated (73%), with a 25% hospital mortality rate linked to the number of risk factors.
Impact:
- Highlights that hypoglycemia is frequently unrecognized in non-diabetic hospitalized patients.
- Underscores the association between hypoglycemia, multiple comorbidities, and increased mortality in severe illness.
- Suggests a need for increased awareness and proactive monitoring of hypoglycemia in vulnerable hospitalized populations.