Blood sugar in infantile gastro-enteritis.

A survey of blood sugar levels in 868 infants with dehydration from gastro-enteritis is presented. The ages of the patients ranged from 2 to 35 months. In 7,9% of cases, blood sugar levels were 0 -50 mg/100 ml and in 10,2% they were over 200 mg/100 ml. Hypoglycaemia was more common in malnutrition, and a high mortality rate was found in patients with hypo- and hyperglycaemia. Hypothermia was associated with abnormal blood sugar levels. No correlation was found between blood sugar and serum sodium. Aetiology and treatment are briefly reviewed.