February 3, 2003
Diagnosis and Symptoms
Question from Boston, Massachusetts, USA:
My five year old nephew has been extremely sick for the last week. Originally, my sister was told he had a viral infection and just to keep him well hydrated (Ginger Ale, Sports drinks, Sprite, and water). He is a slight child and has just kept getting thinner and thinner during the past week. My sister once again rushed him to the hospital because he did not seem to be improving at all. The local hospital then in turn rushed him via ambulance to a major children’s hospital and they have now informed my sister that his sugar count was over 1000 mg/dl [55.6 mmol/L] and that he has type 1 diabetes. Could you please explain to me why this would not have shown up on his blood work from his original visit at the hospital last week?
Answer:
This question may best be addressed by the physician taking care of your nephew. I’m unsure what tests had been done on him prior to his new diagnosis of type 1 diabetes.
MSB
[Editor’s comment: It would seem likely that a blood sugar would have been elevated if it had been done. Our problem, of course, is that we are getting information third-hand from you, and we don’t have access to the medical records when he was originally seen. As Dr. Brown suggests, your sister should discuss this with her son’s physician.
WWQ]
