Hypoglycemia Assessment Questionnaire

Why: e.g. early symptoms include sweating, tremor, palpitations, hunger, pins and needles around the mouth. Later may have a loss of consciousness and coma.

Why: e.g. liver failure, terminal kidney failure, hypopituitarism and Addison's disease may cause hypoglycemia.

Why: e.g. low blood sugar occurring after meals can sometimes occur after gastric surgery, due to rapid gastric emptying and mismatching of food and insulin.

Why: Oral hypoglycemic medications, notably sulphonylureas and insulin may cause low blood sugar and the dosage may have to be reduced. Propanolol, quinine and pentamidine may also cause hypoglycaemia.

Why: alcohol may cause reduced blood sugar. The person who substitutes alcoholic beverage for lunch is particularly at risk, as is the poorly nourished chronic alcoholic.

Why: e.g. multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (simultaneous recurrence of tumors involving parathyroid glands, pituitary, pancreas (insulinomas), adrenals and thyroid glands).

Why: may suggest possibility of malaria.

Why: would strongly suggest an insulinoma as the cause.

Why: e.g. chills, paroxysms of fevers, sweating, fatigue, exhaustion, headaches. Severe falciparum malaria may be complicated by hypoglycemia, especially in children.

Why: symptoms are often vague but may include e.g. weight loss, loss of appetite, tiredness, weakness, fever, depression, lack of menstrual periods, impotence, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, confusion, fainting, abdominal pain, constipation, muscle aches.

Why: Symptoms are associated with fasting or exercise e.g. double vision, sweating, palpitations, weakness, confusion, abnormal behavior, loss of consciousness or seizures.

Why: e.g. usually develops after childbirth due to lack of blood supply to the pituitary during an episode of low blood pressure during delivery. Characterised by weakness, loss of weight, loss of body hair, low blood pressure and symptoms of low thyroid, adrenal and gonadal function.