Severe hypoglycemia after the ingestion of a sulfonylurea compound

Hypoglycaemic coma with chlorpropamide

“…Persistent neurological damage due to chlorpropamide hypoglycaemia has previously been recorded in one case (Sackner & Balian, 1960) and it seems possible that the effects of hypoglycaemia are most marked in those parts of the brain already suffering from ischaemia. In the patient that died (Case 3), although the signs of a hemiplegia persisted to some degree, there was no gross evidence of a vascular accident to account for this at autopsy.…”

“…Severe hypoglycaemic coma due to this drug seems, however, to have been infrequently recognized, and we have been able to find only four isolated reports of this condition in the literature (Coates & Robbins, 1959;Bloch & Lenhardt, 1959;Sackner & Balian, 1960;Lindeman, 1960). We have admitted five patients with severe hypoglycaemic reactions after taking chlorpropamide, one of whom died, during the first 6 months of last year.…”

Hypoglycemic Coma During Sulfonylurea Therapy

“…Information is only available 111 seven cases (4,6,9,13,22,38,46). The serum levels (mg/100 ml) arc: Group I: 8.5-10.7 -18 -25.…”

“…Group II: Persons either healthy (2,5,20,38,46) or suffering from diseases not abnormally influencing the carbohydrate metabolism (paralysis agitans (22,39), multiple sclerosis (13) and some psychiatric diseases (7).…”

A Case of Combined Poisoning with Chlorpropamide, Acetylsalicylic Acid and Paracetamol

“…Chlorpropamide is an uncommon cause of poisoning which may prove fatal (Davies et al 1967) or cause hypoglycaemic cerebral damage (Sackner & Balian 1960). Other complications attributed to chlorpropamide therapy include peripheral neuropathy (Ince 1962), intrahepatic cholestasis (Taubman & Petropoulos 1959; Rothfeld et al 1960), and a ‘flush reaction’ with alcohol (Signorelli 1959).…”