Fatal cardiac arrest following acute hypoglycaemia in a diabetic patient

Abstract

A patient is described who had long‐standing insulin‐dependent diabetes with multiple diabetic complications, and also had known coronary heart disease. While receiving treatment for acute severe hypoglycaemia he sustained a cardiac arrest and died. The haemodynamic effects and the risk of inducing cardiac arrhythmia imposed by acute hypoglycaemia is discussed. Measurement of capillary blood glucose is advised in any insulin‐treated diabetic patient presenting with an acute cardiac event. Copyright © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.