BACKGROUND:

Severe hypoglycemia is a frequent cause of hospitalization in Mexico.

OBJECTIVE:

To identify the clinical and laboratory characteristics associated to severe hypoglycemia in consecutive patients with severe hypoglycemia and normal creatinine serum values.

PATIENTS AND METHOD:

A prospective study was done from August 11, 2011 to May 31, 2013, including patients with severe hypoglycemia and normal creatinine serum values. Age, sex, time of evolution of diabetes mellitus 2, antidiabetic treatment, comorbidities and 24-hour urine creatinine clearance were recorded.

RESULTS:

From 234 patients with severe hypoglycemia admitted, 21 9% had normal creatinine: 13 women 62% and 8 38% men, with a mean age of 64.76 years range: 42-84; 13 62% were older than 60 years; 15 71% had more than 5 years with DM2 mean evolution of 9.2 years; 15 received glibenclamide 71%, 4 in combination with insulin 19% and 8 with metformin 38%. Two received rosiglitazone plus insulin. Four patients had not comorbidities 19%; 16 had arterial hypertension 71% and 3, neoplasms adenocarcinoma, gastric carcinoma and esophageal carcinoma. Eleven patients 52% were admitted with syncope, 5 with disorientation 24%, 4 with conduct disorders 19% and one with dyslalia 5%; 15 of 21 patients 71% had advanced degrees of renal impairment, despite normal creatinine serum values.

CONCLUSIONS:

It is important to perform creatinine clearance at all levels of care, the only guide for safe treatments according to kidney function. Glibenclamide should be cautiously prescribed in older adults with a history of more than 10 years of diabetes mellitus 2 and should be avoided in those with documented chronic renal failure.

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