Hypoglycemia complicating dehydration in children with acute gastroenteritis.
A study was done to estimate the prevalence of hypoglycemia among children with dehydration due to acute gastroenteritis, and to identify clinical variables associated with hypoglycemia in these children. A retrospective case series of children older than 1 month of age and younger than 5 years of age who presented to an urban children's hospital Emergency Department with acute gastroenteritis and dehydration was performed. Medical records were reviewed; demographic and clinical data, including pretreatment serum glucose concentrations, were recorded. There were 196 children comprising the study population. Eighteen children (9.2%) were hypoglycemic. The duration of vomiting was longer for the children with hypoglycemia (2.6 days, SD +/- 1.5) than for those without hypoglycemia (1.6, SD +/- 1.8), 95% CI 0.13 to 1.88. Hypoglycemia may complicate dehydration due to acute gastroenteritis in young children. Clinicians should examine the serum glucose concentration in these children.
Reid
Samuel R
SR
Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Children's Hospitals and Clinics, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA.
Losek
Joseph D
JD
D000208:Acute Disease; D017677:Age Distribution; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D015984:Causality; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D003681:Dehydration / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005440:Fluid Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005947:Glucose / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006786:Hospitals, Urban / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D008910:Minnesota / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014839:Vomiting / Q000453:epidemiology
D001786:Blood Glucose; D005947:Glucose