Dr. Winter Labs Flashcards
What is the is the differential diagnosis of afebrile, tachycardia, groggy, abnormal focal neurological findings and seizure.
Several options:
- Metabolic abnormalities
- CNS pathologies
- Toxicology
- Infection
- Onset epilepsy
When checking for metabolic causes what lab studies should be run?
Check for Na+, Glucose, Calcium - all of which can be the source of seizures.
What are diabetics more afraid of hyper or hypoglycemia?
Hypo - it in the short term is far more dangerous.
What are adrenergic symptoms?
The are a set of symptoms that are the result of hypoglycemia and are the result of adrenal gland release of adrenalin.
What are the clinical presentation of hypoglycemia?
Adrenergic and Neuroglycopenia
What are examples of adregenic symptoms?
Tachycardia, palpitations, pounding heart, sweating, anxiety, nervousmess.
What is neuroglycopenia?
The consequences of hypoglycemia on the CNS.
What are examples of neuroglycopenic symptoms?
faintness, headache, confusion, hunger, blurred vision, parasthesias (tingling, pins and needles)
How do we establish diagnosis of hypoglycemia?
glucose = <45mg/dL
Symptoms
Response to glucose administration
What is the difference between - whole blood, plasma and serum.
Plasma = 55% mostly water and contains proteins, minerals, clotting factors and minerals and hormones.
Serum = Plasma without the clotting factors or fibrinogen
Whole Blood = Unmodified blood other than the addition of an anticoagulant
What is the clinical indication for hypoglycemia?
Draw blood to perform study
Administer IV glucose
What is the cause of hypoglycemia?
The best thing to check for is hyperinsulinism. This would drive down of blood sugar.
What are the two types of hypoglycemia?
hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia
&
non-hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia
How do we determine if it is hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia?
- elevates insulin levels for fasting reference interval
- The I/G ratio is off >0.3
**In general you probably shouldn’t be able to measure insulin levels if hypoglycemia is present.
Why might someone have high levels of insulin and be hypoglycemic?
Excess endogenous insulin = beta cells stimulation
Excess exogenous insulin = Injection of insulin
How do we determine if the insulin is endogenous or exogenous?
Look for the c-peptide. When insulin is manufactured in the body one of the products of endogenous insulin production.
If the reason for hypoglycemia is excess insulin and it is not injected but released from the pancreas how do we determine if it is drugs or pancreatic?
Check for drug history, urine test for drugs.
If it turns out that we are hypoglycemic due to hyperinsulinism and it isn’t drugs what do we check for?
Insulinoma