An analytical study of the clinical pattern of patients admitted with hypoglycaemia

Author(s): M. S. Harish1, N. Naveethalakshmi2
1Department of General Medicine, Srivenkateshwaraa Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Ariyur, Puducherry.
2Department of Biochemistry, Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Medical College Hospital, Perambalur.
Copyright © M. S. Harish, N. Naveethalakshmi. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

This prospective cross-sectional study aimed to identify clinical patterns of patients admitted with hypoglycemia to the Department of General Medicine at Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Medical College Hospital in Perambalur between January 2021 and December 2021. The inclusion criteria were patients admitted to the medical ward with documented hypoglycemia (i.e., blood glucose levels < 70 mg/dL) and aged = 18 years. Pregnant women, patients < 18 years, and those unwilling to participate were excluded. Out of 119 patients, the maximum number of patients (54.6%) belonged to the 41-60 age group, while the >60 age group accounted for 34.5%. However, this age group constituted 61.5% of the total deaths, indicating that hypoglycemia in the elderly is a significant predictor of mortality. Dysregulation of glucose metabolism in the body and the failure of endogenous defense mechanisms to combat low blood sugar levels revealed hypoglycemia. Therefore, hypoglycemia should be taken seriously and investigated appropriately. Elderly people are more prone to low blood sugar levels, and in them, diabetes treatment should be moderate. Tight glycemic control in the elderly can lead to fatal episodes of hypoglycemia.

Keywords: Hypoglycaemia; Low glycemic; Diabetes mellitus.