May 23, 2006
Diagnosis and Symptoms, Hypoglycemia
Question from Thatcher, Arizona, USA:
My 19 month old son has had some high blood sugars and really wet diapers so much so that he has developed a horrible diaper rash. I asked his doctor for a referral to see a pediatric endocrinologist. The pediatric doctor admitted my son for the blood sugars so that they could run tests since my older brother and I both have type 1 diabetes. They discharged my son saying he wasn’t diabetic, but suggested I monitor his sugars twice daily. Well, the sugars have been the same (by the way, my monitor was reading the same as the hospital’s).
Yesterday, he woke up from a nap soaking wet so I tested his sugar and it was 202 mg/dl [11.2 mmol/L]. A couple of hours later, he wouldn’t stop crying so I tested his sugar and it was 30 mg/dl [1.7 mmol/L]. I gave him Lifesavers and checked again after 20 minutes and it was 74 mg/dl [4.1 mmol/L]. He then ate dinner. I checked his sugar one hour after eating, which was according to his discharge instructions, and he was 34 mg/dl [1.9 mmol/L] so I gave him more candy and took him to the Emergency Room (ER) because I was afraid to let him go to sleep until his sugar was stable. The ER performed tests and all his laboratory work came back normal. I’m really confused and I’m not sure what to think of all this. Now I’m worried about how his blood sugar will be overnight and worried about if I will not recognize a low blood sugar in him. Any suggestions?
Answer:
The information you sent really is confusing, isn’t it?
I’d suggest that you confirm that the glucose meter you are using is giving accurate results. Depending on the meter, it may need to have the test strip code and the meter code set to the same value. Some meters do not require this. In addition, the meter should have come with a test-strip control solution to test the accuracy of the strips and meters, in case they may have gotten corrupted.
If that is the problem, then you can start again and get more reliable information. If that is NOT the problem, then I think you need to keep a steady, open, calm dialogue with your pediatrician to get to the bottom of these apparently widely fluctuating glucose values. LOW values do not lead to increased urination, but HIGH values do. Other conditions, unrelated to SUGAR (but sometimes with confusing names) can lead to increased urine production.
DS
[Editor’s comment: Please review our Guidelines to Treating Lows by Age. It probably isn’t a good idea to give Lifesavers to a toddler since they pose a choking hazard.
BH]