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Updated: Jul 15, 2026
08:46
A Neonatal Imaging Model of Gram-Negative Bacterial Sepsis
Published on: August 12, 2020
Hypoglycemia in bacterial septicemia
1Division of Emergency Medicine, Hamilton Health Sciences, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
CJEM
|May 3, 2007
Summary
Severe hypoglycemia, not hyperglycemia, can be the first sign of meningococcal sepsis in children. This case highlights the importance of considering unusual presentations for timely diagnosis and treatment of sepsis.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Severe bacterial infections, or sepsis, commonly cause hyperglycemia in emergency departments.
- Hypoglycemia is an atypical presentation of sepsis in pediatric patients.
- Delayed diagnosis of sepsis can occur when hypoglycemia is the initial symptom.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report a case of severe hypoglycemia as the primary presentation of meningococcal sepsis in a pediatric patient.
- To discuss the pathophysiology of glucose metabolism disturbances in sepsis.
- To emphasize the need for considering sepsis in pediatric patients presenting with severe hypoglycemia.
Main Methods:
- Case report of a 14-year-old male presenting to the emergency department.
- Clinical assessment and diagnostic workup for sepsis and hypoglycemia.
- Review of literature on glucose homeostasis in sepsis.
Main Results:
- The patient presented with severe hypoglycemia and constitutional symptoms.
- The hypoglycemia was the initial indicator of overwhelming meningococcal sepsis.
- The case illustrates a deviation from the typical hyperglycemic response in sepsis.
Conclusions:
- Severe hypoglycemia can be an initial manifestation of meningococcal sepsis in children.
- Clinicians should consider sepsis in pediatric patients with unexplained severe hypoglycemia.
- Prompt recognition and management are crucial for improving outcomes in pediatric sepsis.
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