Hypoglycaemia: principles of diagnosis and treatment in children.

The diagnostic approach to children with suspected hypoglycaemia is facilitated by the fact that two clinically distinct groups exist with little overlap: 1. Hypoglycaemias characterized by a fuel deficit only. 2. Hypoglycaemias in which the fuel deficit is overshadowed by symptoms of intoxication. This differentiation is used when taking the medical history, performing the physical examination, and planning the laboratory investigations. The latter may encompass tolerance tests, a fasting test or the use of a non-radioactive glucose isotope. Protocols for such tests are given.