Hypoglycemia in 56 hemodialysis patients: Incidence and outcome

End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is the second most common condition associat ed with hypoglycemia in hospitalized patients. In this study, the incidence and significance of hypoglycemia in 18 non-diabetic and 38 diabetic ESRD p atients on hemodialysis (HD) was evaluated. Over a 10-year period, 56 HD pa tients were admitted with hypoglycemia out of a total of 1,545 HD patient a dmissions (3.6%). Of those patients presenting with hypoglycemia, 32% event ually died. Drug-induced hypoglycemia was the most common etiology (46%), b ut did not result in death. Sepsis was responsible for 39% of the episodes, and was associated with mortality in 66% of the patients. Severe malnutrit ion caused 7% of the hypoglycemic episodes and 16.5% of the deaths. It is c oncluded that hypoglycemia is not rare in ESRD patients, and is an ominous sign if, in the HD patient, it is associated with either sepsis or malnutri tion.