Abstract

MEDERICO, Maracelly  and  GRUPO DE TRABAJO UNIDAD DE ENDOCRINOLOGIA (ENDO-MER) et al. Evaluación y enfoque diagnóstico del paciente no diabético con hipoglucemia. Rev. Venez. Endocrinol. Metab. [online]. 2011, vol.9, n.2, pp.41-53. ISSN 1690-3110.

Glucose is an essential metabolite to maintaining cellular energy; it is the main source of energy for the central nervous system (CNS), which consumes 60-80% of the total glucose produced by the liver in an adult and 80-100% in a newborn. Hypoglycemia results from loss of the balance between the supply and the consumption of glucose. It could be secondary to lack of substrate, to excessive consumption of peripheral glucose, to hormonal deficiencies and / or alterations of different enzymatic pathways in the metabolism of glucose, lipids or amino acids. Hypoglycemia is the most common metabolic disorder in children and is a real urgency because of its potential impact on the nervous system development. It is defined as the glucose concentration in venous blood below 45 mg/dL at all ages, including the neonatal period. The causes of hypoglycemia vary according to age of presentation and its transient or permanent nature. Given the impact of low plasma glucose concentrations on the CNS, is relevant to perform an early diagnosis and treatment. This article reviews the pathogenesis of hypoglycemia according to the age of presentation, its diagnostic approach and the specific treatment.

Keywords : Hypoglycemia; nondiabetic patient; metabolism.