Severe hyperglycaemia due to neonatal sepsis - A case report

Abstract

Neonatal sepsis is a clinical syndrome characterized by signs and symptoms of infection with or without  accompanying bacteremia in the first month of life. The clinical signs of neonatal sepsis are neither specific nor uniform. Neonatal sepsis may present with fever, hypotonia, respiratory distress, apnea and hyperglycaemia. Untreated hyperglycemia unequivocally leads to undesirable clinical outcomes. Hyperglycemia is associated with increased mortality, which is significantly related to the duration of the elevated blood glucose. The  constant risk that hyperglycaemia presents must be borne in mind when evaluating neonates presenting with sepsis. Adequate measurement and control of elevated blood sugar must be done bearing in mind that the administration of insulin can cause a precipitous fall in glucose and increase the risk of hypoglycemia. This report documents a case of severe hyperglycaemia due to neonatal sepsis.

KeyWords : Neonatalsepsis; Hyperglycaemia; Diabetes mellitus.