A 55-year-old diabetic female presents with acute confusion, right-sided hemiparesis, and dysphasia. Her blood glucose is 1.8 mmol/L. After correcting...

Question

A 55-year-old diabetic female presents with acute confusion, right-sided hemiparesis, and dysphasia. Her blood glucose is 1.8 mmol/L. After correcting the hypoglycaemia with IV glucose, her neurological symptoms completely resolve. What is the key learning point from this case?

Accepted Answer

Hypoglycaemia can exactly mimic acute stroke and must always be excluded before diagnosing stroke - blood glucose is a mandatory first-line investigation

Answer

Blood glucose testing is only required if the patient is diabetic

Answer

Hypoglycaemia only causes bilateral symptoms, never lateralising signs

Answer

Stroke never causes confusion so this was always likely to be metabolic

Answer

The resolution of symptoms confirms this was a TIA, not hypoglycaemia

uk-dipimc MCQ (SBA): Hypoglycaemia Mimicking Stroke

A 55-year-old diabetic female presents with acute confusion, right-sided hemiparesis, and dysphasia. Her blood glucose is 1.8 mmol/L. After correcting the hypoglycaemia with IV glucose, her neurological symptoms completely resolve. What is the key learning point from this case?