Glucose Fever

Glucose fever refers to the high grade fever resulting from hyperglycemia (or glucose infusion usually). In this article, we’ll discuss the common condition in which we can find the glucose fever and the ones incorrectly labelled by some as glucose fever.

Please note, if you have correction or feedback for this post please let me know via comments!

Glucose Fever in Addisons Disease

Glucose fever can occur in the patient suffering from addisons disease after glucose infusion. This is probably linked to the lack of glucocorticoid in patients with addisons disease and thus the glucose fever precipitates. It can lead to collapse and death if left untreated.

So if some patient is given glucose infusion and he or she develops fever while i/v glucose is being given to them, it might give the suspicion of addisons disease. However, other symptoms are to be checked for too! e.g., if you were giving them the glucose infusion because of hypoglycaemia, then it supports our suspicion and aids in diagnosing addisons. Additional tests should be performed in this direction to confirm.

Fever in Hyperglycaemia (HHS) is Glucose Fever?

In my opinion and understanding till now, NO (but confirm from your local professors on this and let me know too). Let me explain why and how.

Fever is one of the sign in HHS (hyperglycaemic hyperosmolar state) in which glucose is above 33 mmol/l (600 mg/dl) usually. Now it’s important to understand that this fever is due to the infection. The infection is the main cause of fever, as well as hyperglycaemia, due to insulin resistance.

So the “fever caused by infection” along with hyperglycemia in hhs is different from “fever caused by glucose” (sugar?), glucose fever, imho. Besides, both mechanism could be working in too!

Best blood sugar monitor

Blood sugar monitor tool used in emergency is the glucometer with strip, on which you can simply put single drop of blood of patient drawn via lancet. The laboratory testing can be performed along with it to confirm the report, however use the glucometer for blood sugar monitor in emergency cases.

Normal Blood sugar range

Normal ranges for blood sugars depends on the fact that the patient is in fasting condition or had meal recently.

Also, as in this situation, the patient have been given an intravenous glucose infusion, so his sugar can be higher than the normal blood sugar range, even though the patient don’t have sugar.

Normal blood sugar ranges are (check with your doctor and local standards too):

Fasting normal blood glucose levels:

Fasting normal blood glucose levels are: 4.0 to 5.9 mmol/L (upto 7mmol/L in known diabetics)

Random normal blood glucose levels:

Random normal blood glucose levels are: less than 7.8 mmol/L (upto 8.5mmol/L in known diabetics)

Common MCQ

So next time when you’ll get a mcq in your medicine exam like this, what will you chose:

Q: Glucose fever is associated with:

1. cushing syndrome
2. addison disease
3. dwarfism
4. gigantism

I hope you’ve understood the glucose fever! let me know if you have any query or improvement to this article and explanation.