J Neurocrit Care.  2018 Dec;11(2):143-147. 10.18700/jnc.180063.

Cardiac Arrest in Conjunction with Hypoglycemia in a Non-Diabetic Patient with Cerebral Infarction

• Ko J
• Lee JY

• KMID: 2434843
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.18700/jnc.180063

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Hypoglycemia is uncommon in people without diabetes. There have been only a few reports of cardiac arrest in conjunction with hypoglycemia in non-diabetic patients.
CASE REPORT
A 66-year-old man visited the emergency room with dizziness. He was a chronic alcoholic. Laboratory test showed no evidence of diabetes mellitus. Brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed a left cerebellar infarction. Abdomen computed tomography demonstrated liver cirrhosis with minimal ascites. During his hospital stay, he consumed only a small amount of food because of nausea and headache. On hospital day 4, he had a cardiac arrest after two seizure episodes. His blood glucose was 10 mg/dL. The combination of liver cirrhosis, renal failure and poor oral intake was presumed to be the causes of the severe hypoglycemia.
CONCLUSION
We report a rare case of cardiac arrest occurring in conjunction with severe hypoglycemia in a non-diabetic patient with cerebral infarction.

Keyword

Hypoglycemia; Heart arrest; Cerebral infarction

MeSH Terms

Abdomen
Aged
Alcoholics
Ascites
Blood Glucose
Brain
Cerebral Infarction*
Diabetes Mellitus
Dizziness
Emergency Service, Hospital
Headache
Heart Arrest*
Humans
Hypoglycemia*
Infarction
Length of Stay
Liver Cirrhosis
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Nausea
Renal Insufficiency
Seizures
Blood Glucose

Figure

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  Figure 1. Computed tomography demonstrating liver cirrhosis with minimal ascites

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  Figure 2. (A) Initial brain computed tomography (CT) image showing left cerebellar low density. (B) Brain magnetic resonance image of acute left cerebellar infarction with compression of brainstem. (C) Brain CT image after the first cardiac arrest showing left cerebellar low density with mild brainstem compression.

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