Impaired glucose tolerance and previously unrecognized diabetes could be detected early in the stroke course, and persisted after 3 months in more than two-thirds of our patients. Post-load hyperglycaemia during the acute phase of stroke may be useful in identifying patients with abnormal glucose metabolism, which places them at risk for adverse outcomes, including cardiovascular disease.

No abstract

Recommended treatment of severe hypotonic hyponatremia is based on the infusion of 3% sodium chloride solution, with a daily correction rate below 10 mEq/L of sodium concentration, according to the Adrogué and Madias formula that includes the current desired change in sodium concentrations. However, such treatment needs close monitoring of the rate of infusion and does not take into account the body weight or age of the patient. This may result in hypercorrection and neurological damage. We made an inverse calculation using the same algorithms of the Adrogué and Madias formula to estimate the number of vials of sodium chloride needed to reach a correction rate of the serum sodium concentration below 0.4 mEq/h, taking into account the body weight and age of the patient. Three tables have been produced, each containing the number of vials to be infused, according to the patient’s age and body weight, the serum sodium concentration, and the rate of correction over 24 h to avoid the risk of brain damage. We propose a new practical model to calculate the need of sodium chloride infusate to safely correct the hyponatremia. The tables make treatment easier to manage in daily clinical practice in a wide range of patient ages and body weights.

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are a new second-line medication in the management of hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetes. These drugs can be associated with the development of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) with normal or moderately increased blood glucose levels. This is a life-threatening clinical condition termed euglycemic DKA, of which the diagnosis can be delayed due to the relative euglycemia. We report on two patients with type 2 diabetes who presented to the Emergency Department with malaise, nausea and vomiting. Both patients had been taking dapagliflozin for at least six months. A risk factor for the development of ketoacidosis, namely heavy alcohol consumption, was found in one of the patients. Arterial blood gas analysis showed severe metabolic acidosis with increased anion gap, positive serum and urine ketones and normal arterial lactate. The patients were treated in Internal Medicine with intravenous fluids, insulin, sodium bicarbonate and potassium. Dapagliflozin was stopped. Both patients recovered uneventfully. Even in the absence of significant hyperglycemia, accurate interpretation of arterial blood gas analysis and serum ketones should lead to correct diagnosis of euDKA.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are the most common mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract, mainly localized in the stomach. Most GIST derive from mutations in tyrosine kinase receptors (KIT) or platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α (PDGFRA). GISTs are rarely associated with paraneoplastic hypoglycemia caused by non-β-cells tumor. This syndrome, defined non-islet cell tumor hypoglycemia (NICTH), arises from excess tumor production of insulin-like growth factor. We describe a 67-year-old female with severe NICTH secondary to an advanced and metastatic GIST.