Hypoglycemia in an emergency room. Review of 251 cases Caracterización de eventos de hipoglicemia en pacientes diabéticos y no diabéticos atendidos en un servicio de urgencia

Abstract

© 2018, Sociedad Medica de Santiago. All rights reserved. Background: Hypoglycemia is the main limitation for the achievement of glycemic goals in the treatment of diabetes. Aim: To assess the incidence of hypoglycemia in an emergency department. To characterize and identify which patients are at higher risk of having it. Material and Methods: We reviewed the electronic records of patients discharged from an adult emergency room with the diagnosis of hypoglycemia between May 2011 and December 2014. Age, sex, diagnosis of diabetes (DM), antidiabetic therapy, glycosylated hemoglobin, creatinine, destination at time of discharge, blood glucose, impairment of conscience, treatment of the event and predictions were recorded. Results: Of 175,244 attentions analyzed, 251 in patients aged 69 ± 17 years (54% women) consulted for hypoglycemia (0.14%). Eighty one percent had a type 2 diabetes, 6% a type 1 diabetes and 12% were non-diabetic. Mean blood glucose was 44.1 mg/dl. In diabetic patients,