Table 2.
Characteristics of patients in whom an underlying aetiology for hypoglycaemia was identified versus those without a diagnosis
| Variable N=145* |
Diagnosis established N=12 |
No diagnosis established N=133 |
P value |
| Age at presentation (years), median (IQR) | 1.03 (0.05–1.54) | 2.18 (1.29–3.99) | <0.001† |
| Sex, % female (n) | 67% (8) | 54% (72) | 0.55‡ |
| Race, % White (n) | 75% (9) | 60% (81) | 0.54‡ |
| Ethnicity, % Hispanic (n) | 0% (0) | 2.3% (3) | >0.99‡ |
| Weight-for-age percentile, median (IQR), N=140 | 13.1 (1.7–23.8) | 31.0 (14.0–59.5) | 0.02† |
| Height-for-age percentile, median (IQR), N=141 | 15.5 (5.6–23.3) | 29.0 (9.0–59.0) | 0.10† |
| Weight status category, % (n), N=140 | 0.27‡ | ||
| Underweight | 17% (2) | 13% (16) | |
| Normal | 83% (10) | 70% (90) | |
| Overweight/obese | 0% (0) | 17% (22) | |
| Prior history of hypoglycaemia, % (n) | 25% (3) | 20% (26) | 0.71‡ |
| Medical/surgical history, % (n) | 17% (2) | 50% (67) | 0.03‡ |
| Abnormal physical examination findings, % (n) | 8.3% (1) | 5.3% (7) | 0.51‡ |
| Presenting illness features, % (n) | |||
| Gastroenteritis | 25% (3) | 25% (33) | >0.99‡ |
| Vomiting | 25% (3) | 46% (61) | 0.23‡ |
| Diarrhoea | 25% (3) | 13% (17) | 0.22‡ |
| Upper respiratory tract infection | 17% (2) | 23% (30) | >0.99‡ |
| Otitis media | 0% (0) | 3.0% (4) | >0.99‡ |
| Fever | 33% (4) | 30% (40) | 0.76‡ |
| Other | 17% (2) | 12% (16) | 0.65‡ |
| Illness duration (days), median (IQR), N=123 | 2 (1–6) | 2 (1–4) | 0.82† |
| History of decreased oral intake (days), median (IQR), N=78 | 3.5 (1–6) | 2 (1–3) | 0.47† |
| Symptomatic hypoglycaemia at presentation, % (n) | 50% (6) | 65.4% (87) | 0.35‡ |
| Autonomic symptoms | 0% (0) | 6.0% (8) | >0.99‡ |
| Neuroglycopenic symptoms | 50% (6) | 63% (84) | 0.37‡ |
| Labs at initial presentation | |||
| Plasma glucose (mmol/L(mg/dL)), median (IQR) | 2.5 (1.4–2.7) (45 (26–49)) |
2.5 (2.1–2.9) (45 (37–52)) |
0.42† |
| Plasma glucose<2.8 mmol/L (<50 mg/dL), % (n) | 83% (10) | 69% (92) | 0.51‡ |
| Positive plasma or urine ketones, % (n), N=82 | 25% (1) | 92% (72) | 0.004‡ |
| Serum bicarbonate (mmol/L), mean±SD, N=91 | 22±5.5 | 16±3.6 | <0.001§ |
| Other abnormal findings on presenting or baseline evaluation,¶ % (n), N=111 | 25% (2) | 44% (45) | 0.46‡ |
*Unless otherwise noted.
†Wilcoxon rank sum test.
‡Fisher’s exact test.
§T-test.
¶Including transaminases, lactate, ammonia, cortisol, growth hormone, IGF-I, IGFBP-3, acylcarnitine profile, carnitine profile, urine organic acids.