A 2-year-old (12 kg) known diabetic on insulin is brought with unresponsiveness and seizures. Point-of-care blood glucose is 28 mg/dL. IV access is established. What is the correct dose of dextrose to administer?

• A 10 mL of 50% dextrose IV push
• B 5 mL of 25% dextrose (D25) IV push
• C 60 mL of 5% dextrose (D5) IV bolus
• D 24 mL of 10% dextrose (D10) IV over 5 minutes ✓

Explanation

Hypoglycemia is treated with 0.5-1 g/kg dextrose IV. For a 12 kg child, this equals 6-12 g. B10 (100 mg/mL) at 24 mL delivers 2.4 g, which is 0.2 g/kg, but the standard pediatric dose is 2-4 mL/kg of B10 (0.2-0.4 g/kg). B25 at 1-2 mL/kg is also acceptable but hyperosmolar. B50 is hyperosmolar and not recommended in children. The most appropriate choice here is B10 at 2 mL/kg.

Reference: Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, 21st ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.