Citation

Dewaal CM, McGillis E, Mink M, Lucyk S. CJEM 2018; 20(4): 643-647.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians, Publisher Cambridge University Press)

DOI

10.1017/cem.2017.422

PMID

29202888

Abstract

Intentional insulin overdose may lead to severe and refractory hypoglycemia. Exogenous dextrose administration is the mainstay of therapy for these patients and is effective in most cases. However, in patients with a functional pancreas, exogenous dextrose administration may precipitate endogenous insulin release leading to rebound hypoglycemia. We describe a case report of a 41-year-old woman who injected 300 units of insulin aspart with suicidal intent. Her initial blood glucose was 2.3 mmol/L (41 mg/dL). Over the next 12 hours, she experienced recurrent hypoglycemic episodes despite 10% dextrose infusions and 14 ampoules of 50% dextrose. Our patient experienced complications, including peripheral edema, related to the large volumes of intravenous dextrose required to attempt to maintain euglycemia. Octreotide, a somatostatin analogue, may help prevent dextrose-induced hypoglycemia and improve the management in select insulin overdose patients; large infusion volumes resulted in significant peripheral edema. Treatment with octreotide was initiated 12.5 hours post-injection and was followed by a stabilization of blood glucose concentration in this non-diabetic patient.

Language: en

Keywords

Humans; Adult; Female; Risk Assessment; Drug Overdose; Treatment Outcome; Suicide, Attempted; Emergency Service, Hospital; Follow-Up Studies; overdose; Hypoglycemia; Injections, Subcutaneous; Infusions, Intravenous; hypoglycemia; insulin; octreotide; insulin aspart; Glucose; Insulin Aspart; dextrose