Hyperglycaemia as a result of stress and possible drug interactions: a case report

✍ Scribed by Puttanna, A ;Cunningham, AR ;Scanlon, JEM

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2010
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 74 KB
• Volume: 27
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1357-8170
• DOI: 10.1002/pdi.1507

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

We report the case of a six‐year‐old male paediatric patient diagnosed with type 1 diabetes following an emergency department admission for treatment of an asthma attack.

The patient's elevated blood glucose level of 22.9mmol/L was consistent with current guidelines for the diagnosis of diabetes. However, he remained on the same dose of insulin for three years (despite steady, normal growth). During this time he had no problems with blood glucose control and no hypoglycaemic attacks. The diagnosis of diabetes was, therefore, questioned. The values for steroid induced hyperglycaemia were markedly higher in this patient than anecdotal values. This prompted the suspicion that the steroid induced hyperglycaemia had been further exacerbated by salbutamol administration in the setting of an acute stress response.

The findings of this case illustrate the importance of understanding drug induced hyperglycaemia in the presence of intercurrent illness. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons.