August 31, 2007
Hypoglycemia
Question from Caruthersville, Missouri, USA:
I recently had a blood sugar reading of 13 mg/dl [0.7 mmol/L]. I was not conscious for some time. An ambulance was called; I was treated and taken to the Emergency Room. I was wondering if it was possible to have any brain damage or if I could have gone into a coma? The paramedics told me that I was not conscious for quite some time and that, after they gave me the “sunshine” shot, I was still not functioning normally. How long do you have to be unconscious to have been in a coma?
Answer:
It is very unlikely that you have brain damage from the event. Several studies have shown the absence of permanent brain damage from such events. Severe low sugars should be avoided. We recommend that you check with your Health Care Provider to see if your insulin should be adjusted. People with insulin pumps tend to have fewer low sugar episodes.
ChR
