Have you ever seen a seizure for hypoglycemia?

[Faeriewand, ASN, RN]

Our book lists seizure under hypoglycemia but it does not say that in Saunders (which I really trust) and we did not learn that in school.

So I was just wondering if anyone had any real world experience with someone having a seizure due to hypoglycemia.

what did you learn in school about hypoglycemia?

[gtoko]

Yes I had one patient who seized, checked her capillary bs. was 30?? I thought a b.s. that low was incompatible with life, she was not responsive,but still had respirations... Of course she had no IV access, so I gave her IM Glucagon.. She came through it, ok

[Redneckmedic63]

Seen it many times. The beauty of it is - fix the sugar and you fix the seizure!

[darynash]

Fixing the sugar is the quick fix but for people with hyperinsulinism, that is not an easy thing to do. My daughter has hyperinsulinism. She is very lucky because she has a mild case and is managed with Diazoxide. There are many who are not as lucky. For patients with hyperinsulinism, they will continue to have low blood sugars until properly diagnosed and managed by an endocrinologist. These patients constantly produce too much insulin and it can be deadly.

[Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN]

I've seen it, but maybe only once or twice. Decreased LOC, sweatiness and visual changes are the signs I usually encounter.

[Flare, ASN, BSN]

sure - i've seen that before. It's associated perhaps more with a diabetic coma than garden variety hypoglycemia

[Faeriewand, ASN, RN]

Thanks nurses! :) I was so embarrassed because I remembered after I posted, that when a patient is having a seizure you should check the blood sugar.

I'm at school now so there had been a discussion on it. Thanks again everyone :)

[brownbook]

Sometimes patients who are hypoglycemic appear drunk prior to reaching the seizure level. Slurred speech, unsteady gait, not making sense, etc.

[Ddestiny, BSN, RN]

Yes I had one patient who seized, checked her capillary bs. was 30?? I thought a b.s. that low was incompatible with life, she was not responsive,but still had respirations... Of course she had no IV access, so I gave her IM Glucagon.. She came through it, ok

I'm not a nurse yet but as a Med aide working in LTC, I've taken care of a resident that was a brittle diabetic. He was also deaf and there were a few times where I would come in on shift and hear him "barking". You quickly learned that mean you needed to be in his room -- NOW! -- because his sugar was so low he was hallucinating and trying to crawl out of bed. It's amazing how fast the Glucagon brings them around.

Since his sugar was used to being all over the place (bottoming out one day and 300+ a day or two later) it could handle going disturbingly low. We'd test him and at least once he was below 20. It's sad that it was such a frequent event, even when we were doing accuchecks 4x a day....

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

Yes it is real. It may also be part of the package when insulin surges (exogenous or endogenous) push potassium out of the blood at the same time glucose leaves. Always consider that K+ may be linked to BS levels.

[RNKel, ASN, RN]

Yes I had one patient who seized, checked her capillary bs. was 30?? I thought a b.s. that low was incompatible with life,

My blood sugar bottomed out back in November and when the squad checked me it was 34. I've had a patient with a BS of 29 before.

[StrwbryblndRN]

I had one pt who was BS in 30's, asymptomatic. He did this alot. We would run to bring him juice and it would be surprising to hear him say "you want me to drink all of it? is it necessary?"

Never had a pt to have a seizure though.