14. Confusion and severe neurological symptoms
In severe cases of hypoglycemia or in susceptible populations, patients may start displaying severe neurological symptoms that may range from confusion and seizures to lethargy and coma. A very low level of energy to the brain and very low blood pressure might influence severe damage with a long-lasting lesion to various brain structures when not readily attended.
Hypoglycemia is a very common problem that may have severe consequences in susceptible patients. Neonates, older adults, pregnant women and people with diabetes mellitus deserve a special mention as they usually need urgent attention and in some cases may also need to be hospitalized. Many different first aid measures might work to treat these patients, but it is recommended to contact a healthcare professional for a full assessment of the health conditions in order to reach a proper understanding of the disease and detect any additional health problem we may need to address.
References
Mathew, P., & Thoppil, D. (2018). Hypoglycemia. In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing.
Egi, M., Bellomo, R., Stachowski, E., French, C. J., Hart, G. K., Taori, G., … & Bailey, M. (2010, March). Hypoglycemia and outcome in critically ill patients. In Mayo Clinic Proceedings (Vol. 85, No. 3, pp. 217-224). Elsevier.
Bromiker, R., Perry, A., Kasirer, Y., Einav, S., Klinger, G., & Levy-Khademi, F. (2019). Early neonatal hypoglycemia: incidence of and risk factors. A cohort study using universal point of care screening. The Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine, 32(5), 786-792.
