Hypoglycemia

Prevention

• Education of young people, their parents and other care givers with particular attention to
  • early warning signs and symptoms
  • the usefulness of BG monitoring
  • effects of increased exercise
  • preventative effects of higher fiber, higher carbohydrate foods and snacks
  • management of hypoglycemic episodes
  • review of individual insulin management
  • taking special care when routines are altered, such as holidays, travel or changes of season
  • repeated advice that a source of glucose or sucrose must always be immediately available
• Assessment of episodes, particularly
• food intake (daytime and bedtime snacks; pre- and post-exercise carbohydrate intake)
• insulin action profiles (e.g. rapid-acting insulin analog to reduce post-meal or nocturnal hypoglycemia; splitting evening short/rapid and bedtime intermediate-acting insulin doses)
• nocturnal (2.00–4.00 am) BG measurements
• Review of glycemic targets for those at high risk (e.g. young children and those with hypoglycemic unawareness)