Ms. Lien, 30 years old, had convulsions, lost consciousness, and foamed at the mouth. The doctor discovered that the cause was hypoglycemia causing a fake stroke.
On May 23, Dr. Truong Thi Vanh Khuyen, Department of Endocrinology – Diabetes, Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, said that Ms. Lien’s symptoms were similar to a stroke, but the MRI results did not record it. receive acute ischemic injury like a stroke patient. Blood tests showed blood sugar levels dropped to only 47 mg/dL (normal fasting blood sugar is above 80 mg/dL).
“Ms. Lien had severe hypoglycemia causing a fake stroke,” Doctor Khuyen diagnosed. A pseudostroke is defined as a condition in which a patient is hospitalized with stroke-like symptoms during the “golden” time of the emergency, i.e. the first three hours. Excessive hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia can lead to pseudostroke.
Symptoms of hypoglycemia are very similar to those of a stroke, such as seizures, coma, and paralysis of the limbs. With timely treatment, these symptoms gradually decrease. Brain scan did not detect brain damage due to cerebral infarction or cerebral hemorrhage. Hypoglycemia in diabetics is often caused by injecting too much insulin, using the wrong dose, skipping meals or eating too little, strenuous exercise, or other acute conditions such as trauma, infection…
Ms. Lien had been to the emergency room due to hypoglycemia, but this was the first time she had a seizure and lost consciousness. In her past, she had diabetes and was worried about high blood sugar, so she limited her diet, only eating her main meal with two spoons of rice and lots of vegetables, but still taking the old dose of insulin. Doctor Khuyen said doses of insulin and other hypoglycemic tablets are used to regulate blood sugar when eating normally and in stable health. Patients who eat poorly, skip meals, forget to eat… have a high risk of hypoglycemia.
Ms. Lien was treated at Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City. Image: Hospital provided.
Ms. Lien was given fluids and a sugar infusion to help her blood sugar return to a stable level. Doctors guide patients to adjust medication doses, living habits, lifestyle… to avoid recurrence of hypoglycemia. After 4 days of treatment, her health stabilized and she was discharged from the hospital.
Blood sugar below 70 mg/dL is hypoglycemia, a severe condition when below 50 mg/dL. Severe hypoglycemia that is not treated promptly can cause brain damage. In addition, patients who have a fake stroke due to high or low blood sugar have a high chance of having other problems such as falls, injuries, traffic accidents, acute myocardial infarction… Diabetics need to take medication. correct dose and schedule, monitor blood sugar regularly, when sick or have poor appetite, contact your doctor for instructions on adjusting the appropriate dose. In case blood sugar rises above 250 mg/dL, the patient also needs advice from a doctor on how to use the medicine.
False strokes related to blood sugar in diabetics can be prevented thanks to a moderate diet and appropriate treatment regimen.