Hypoglycaemic coma in a non‐diabetic: Organic illness or self‐administration of insulin?

Abstract

Unexplained hypoglycaemia occurring in a non‐diabetic who has access to insulin through contacts or at work, must raise the possibility of self‐administration of insulin (Ref 1). Self‐administration is usually surreptitious and is likely to be denied by the patient when challenged. Further investigations may be needed to establish the diagnosis and to exclude organic illness. We report a case in which investigations established the diagnosis of self‐ administration and led to the patient finally admitting to having injected an overdose of his wife's insulin. Copyright © 1989 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.