title: Hypothermia is a frequent sign of severe hypoglycaemia in patients with diabetes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hypothermia is a recognized complication of severe hypoglycaemia, but its prevalence and characteristics are poorly studied. For this reason, this study aimed to evaluate hypothermia in severely hypoglycaemic patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective chart review was performed including all patients discharged between 2007 and 2010 from the Emergency Department of the Geneva University Hospital with a diagnosis of severe hypoglycaemia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hypothermia was identified in 30 (23.4%) out of 128 patients with severe hypoglycaemia. Its incidence was not affected by age, type of diabetes, season or time of day (day/night). Using linear regression, the lowest recorded temperature was associated with the Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score (r2 = 13.8%, P < 0.0001) and inversely associated with the leukocyte count (r2 = 13.1%, P = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hypothermia is a frequent sign of severe hypoglycaemia in patients with diabetes. The associations between hypothermia and the GCS score and the leukocyte count suggest that it is a marker of hypoglycaemia severity and/or duration. Hypothermia may represent an important compensatory mechanism in severe hypoglycaemia, reflecting a decrease in energy demand during glucose deprivation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Nutrition, Geneva University Hospital, 1206 Geneva, Switzerland. christel.tran@sickkids.ca
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gariani
authors.forename: F R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Herrmann
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Juan
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Philippe
authors.forename: O T
authors.initials: OT
authors.lastname: Rutschmann
authors.forename: U M
authors.initials: UM
authors.lastname: Vischer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004635:Emergency Medicine; D005260:Female; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D006801:Humans; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007035:Hypothermia / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents