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Hypoglycemia in bacterial septicemia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 May 2015

Ian Preyra  and
Andrew Worster
Ian Preyra
Affiliation:
Division of Emergency Medicine Hamilton Health Sciences and McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.
Andrew Worster*
Affiliation:
Division of Emergency Medicine Hamilton Health Sciences and McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.
*
Division of Emergency Medicine, Hamilton Health Sciences, 237 Barton St. E, Hamilton ON L8N 3Z5; 905 527-4322 x46997, fax 905 527-7051, aworster@rogers.com

Abstract

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In the emergency department (ED), the typical manifestation of impaired glucose homeostasis seen in patients with severe bacterial infections is hyperglycemia. Severe hypoglycemia is generally not a presenting feature of sepsis in children in the emergency setting, and thus may lead to delayed diagnosis and management. We present a case of a 14-year-old boy who attended the ED with constitutional symptoms and severe hypoglycemia as the initial presentation of overwhelming meningococcal sepsis and discuss the impairment of glucose homeostasis in patients with sepsis.

Keywords

hypoglycemiasepticemiameningococcal sepsisacute presentationsemergency medicine
Type
Case Report • Observations de Cas
Information
Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine , Volume 5 , Issue 4 , July 2003 , pp. 268 - 270
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians 2003

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