title: [Hypoglycemia. Symptoms, differential diagnosis, therapy].
abstract: Hypoglycemia is often associated with typical, but not specific symptoms. A differentiation is made between neuroglucopenic symptoms (e.g., confusion, somnolence) on the one hand, and those that arise as a result of the counterregulatory response of the sympathetic nervous system (e.g., tremor, sweating), on the other. The diagnosis of hypoglycemia can cause considerable problems, in particular when only isolated single symptoms present (e.g., confusion, psychosis, seizures, coma). For the elective clarification of recurrent hypoglycemia, further diagnostic examinations (e.g., fasting with determination of hormones, measurement of insulin) are employed in addition to the patient's history. For differential diagnostic considerations not only organic causes, but also adverse drug reactions and a factitious genesis must be excluded. In the event of an emergency (e.g., hypoglycemic coma) the usual form of treatment is the administration of glucoses or glucagon.
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Klinik II, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Otto
authors.forename: W O
authors.initials: WO
authors.lastname: Richter
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005950:Glucose Solution, Hypertonic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D009460:Neurologic Examination
chemical_list: D005950:Glucose Solution, Hypertonic