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Hypoglycemia Manifested by Sinus Bradycardia: A Report of Three Cases
Author(s) -
Pollock Gary,
Brady William J.,
Hargarten Steve,
DeSilvey Dennis,
Carter C. Tom
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
academic emergency medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.221
H-Index - 124
eISSN - 1553-2712
pISSN - 1069-6563
DOI - 10.1111/j.1553-2712.1996.tb03495.x
Subject(s) - medicine , hypoglycemia , bradycardia , sinus bradycardia , diabetes mellitus , sinus (botany) , anesthesia , pediatrics , insulin , cardiology , endocrinology , heart rate , botany , blood pressure , biology , genus
Three cases are reported of hypoglycemia manifested by profound sinus bradycardia and fatigue, which responded to IV dextrose with prompt normalization of the cardiac rhythm. The cases involved 3 different patients and disease processes: a young female who had anorexia nervosa and profound malnutrition; an elderly, nondiabetic male who subsequently experienced a transient ischemic attack; and a patient who had diabetes mellitus managed with chronic, subcutaneous insulin administration. It is vitally important that the emergency physician recognize unusual clinical manifestations of hypoglycemia and fully evaluate such scenarios when hypoglycemia may occur. Untreated, hypoglycemia may result in significant chronic morbidity, and rarely, in death. Bradyarrhythmias–particularly sinus bradycardia–should be added to the list of potential clinical manifestations of hypoglycemia.