Word parts
What it means
Too little glucoseGLOO-kohsA simple sugar that is the body's main source of energy.gluc/o sweet, sugar-ose sugarFull entry (sugar) in the blood. It is most common in people with diabetes who take insulinIN-suh-linA hormone made by the pancreas that lets the body's cells take in glucose, also made as a medicine.Full entry or some oral diabetes drugs, especially after a missed meal, extra exercise or alcohol. Signs can come on quickly: shakiness, sweating, a fast heartbeat, hunger, irritability and confusion, and, if it goes lower, seizures or loss of consciousness.
For the nurse
Check the blood glucose when a client has these signs. If the client is awake and can swallow, many agency protocols use the 15-15 rule: give 15 grams of fast-acting carbohydrate, recheck in 15 minutes and repeat until above 70 mg/dL, then give a snack or meal. A client who cannot swallow safely gets IV dextrose or glucagon as ordered. Teach clients to carry a quick sugar source.
In a chart
"Client diaphoretic and shaky; glucose 54 mg/dL; 4 oz juice given, recheck 88 mg/dL."
Remember it
Cold and clammy, need some candy.
At a glance
| Normal range | Fasting blood glucose 70–100 mg/dL [3.9–5.6 mmol/L]; below 70 mg/dL [3.9 mmol/L] is hypoglycemia. |
|---|---|
| Everyday words | low blood sugar |
| Spanish | hipoglucemia |
| Also written | hypoglycaemia, hypoglycemic, low blood sugar |
Easy to confuse with
hyperglycemia
A blood glucose level above normal, over 100 mg/dL when fasting.
Related terms
insulin
A hormone made by the pancreas that lets the body's cells take in glucose, also made as a medicine.
diabetes mellitus
A long-term disease in which blood glucose stays high because the body makes too little insulin or cannot use it well.
hypo-
A word beginning that means under, below or less than normal.
glucose
A simple sugar that is the body's main source of energy.
blood glucose
The amount of sugar (glucose) in the blood at the time it is measured.