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AIBU?

To worry about DD (4yo) after last night's experience in hospital?

20 replies

Gigaflops · 15/05/2013 20:12

Yesterday, DD had a temp just under 40 that wouldn't come down with either Nurofen or Calpol. She was projectile vomiting too - such fun...

Called GP at 10h30, she recommended we come in straight away and gave us paracetamol suppositories and also asked for a urine sample. We tried in the surgery but DD wasn't having any of it, so we went home and promised to deliver it that afternoon.

At 17h00 we called GP and said, no sample yet, what should we do? She told me to bring her is as she was worried that she hadn't weed at all - of course as I'm putting her shoes on she needs the potty... So I catch the precious wee in the pot and off we go to get it checked.

GP does a dipstick test and says there's ketones and sugar in her urine, which shouldn't be there - calls her colleague in for a second opinion, and they agree we need to get to hospital asap. She calls in a referral and we drive straight there, and are admitted straight away.

The staff at hosp were lovely - very sweet to DD, even made me a cup of tea!! - but seemed baffled by what they found. They did two finger prick tests as well as redoing her wee, and her blood sugar was very LOW while her urine was +++?? How is this possible?

They mentioned diabetes but said that as the blood sugar wasn't high it shouldn't be that... we were given 200ml of Dioralyte to try get a fresh urine sample, which took multiple attempts over a number of hours but when it did come (with a standing ovation from the nursing station! ) the glucose results are back down again! All the blood and urine samples have been sent off for further tests, and we have to go back on Friday for the results, but what on earth could this be?? I'm freaking out (and sleep deprived - we only got home in the early hours and DD hasn't wanted to nap today, grrr) so probably just need a hand to hold...

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hillyhilly · 15/05/2013 20:15

I know that for diabetic people their sugar goes all over the place (often v high) when they are poorly but as your dd had been vomiting that could be why her sugar was low maybe blood is quicker to respond than wee or the wee was v concentrated.
I should try not to worry, as the bug clears she will probably return to normal. - I do appreciate that of course that is easy for me to say.

Oblomov · 15/05/2013 20:24

I am a diabetic. I think the low blood sugars by finger blood test, shows it is unlikely to be diabetes, because the whole point about diagnosis is that of blood sugars are persistently high because lack of insulin.
I hope you get some information and resolution as to what it is.

clux73 · 15/05/2013 20:25

When my daughter was 2 she had a horrendous sick bug and ended up going to hospital. Whilst there they said her blood sugar readings were very low. She turned out to have a urine infection but ever since we have had yearly check ups as they think she has something called ketotic hypoglycaema which basically means if she is very sick her body finds it than most peoples to process her glucose levels. I know it's something to do with ketones but I'm not entirely sure what. She is now 5 and has never been ill since but we go to the Evelina Childrens Hospital once a year just so they can check all is well. They said that most children by the age of 7 outgrow this condition - but she will probably not handle alcohol in large quantities very well at all! We know that if she ever has a bug where she can't keep food down to be on our guard, we have special powder sachets to give and if necessary we would take her in to hospital for a few hours on a drip. Luckily though it's been three years without any problems and as each year passes her body should be able to cope better.

Not sure if that is at all likely to be the same as your situation but it does sound a bit similar.

AnyoneforTurps · 15/05/2013 20:27

Don't panic: being generally ill can affect the blood sugar and can also make glucose appear in the urine (because the kidneys may not be filtering as effectively as usual). Your GP was absolutely right to send your DD to hospital to rule out diabetes but, as her blood sugars were not high, it's very likely that this is all just due to a viral illness and everything will go back to normal once she is over it.

Hope she's better soon

Heebiejeebie · 15/05/2013 20:27

Blood test more accurate than urine. What did you put the sample in? Anything that had previously contained juice or something sugary?

batfuttocks · 15/05/2013 20:30

Could the original urine sample have been ccontaminated in anyway? Were the GPs sticks past their expiry? If it makes no sense, it may indicate a false test result (more likely than something v rare). Hope she is ok.

batfuttocks · 15/05/2013 20:37

Oh sorry just read that the second sample showed the same thing. Ignore me.

Gigaflops · 15/05/2013 20:40

Hi all - thanks for the responses!

clux - that is interesting, and does sound similar!! I've made a note of it and will ask at the appt on Fri.

Heebie and batfuttocks - the sample was collected straight from the source, as it were, into one of those sterile urine pots with the white lids. The GP gave us one to take home. At the hosp, she weed into a yellow plastic funnel thing with a bottle attached - also sterile, so I think the chance of contamination is quite low... always possible though!

She's been feeling more herself today - we've been having more Dioralyte as well as those suppositories, her temp has been high but not scarily high, and we've been cuddled on the sofa watching Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, which is nice! She hasn't really eaten today - a few bites of pizza at 3pm, and some milk this morning, oh and a strawberry frozen yoghurt, but hasn't been hungry at all even when I've sat her down for meals. SHe's definitely not right, poor lil thing...

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BerthaTheBogCleaner · 15/05/2013 20:47

The high glucose in the urine at the same time as low blood glucose will be because her blood sugar was high about 10 hours before and the kidneys are still processing that. Or her blood sugar was normalish and her kidneys spilled the sugar out when they shouldn't (due to a virus).

It's fairly unlikely to be diabetes - with diabetes once your blood sugar is up it doesn't come back down without some injected insulin. Or at least not usually in small children - adult pancreases can be a bit more erratic when they're dying off, and come and go a bit!

The fact that she doesn't want to nap or wee is a great sign as far as diabetes is concerned - she'd be weeing and sleeping for England if it was diabetes.

Virus, bound to be a virus, its always a flipping virus ...

Gigaflops · 15/05/2013 20:50

I hate flipping viruses... it's so horrible when your children are sick..

Thanks for the support! I'm feeling a bit better now... I could do with a but don't want to just in case she's up in the night! Perhaps a [hotchoc] would suffice?

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EggsMichelle · 15/05/2013 20:57

I have exactly the same on a regular basis, finger prick runs regularly on 3 (4-7 normal) and have glucose + in my urine. Doctors have never worked out why, assumption is my kidneys don't filter sugar properly but only every a problem when my sugar goes really low and I need to eat (yummy!) It was monitored while I was pregnant but DS came out healthy and normal as well. If its just a sort term thing, then it's viral and not to worry. Keep her fluids up etc.

Gigaflops · 15/05/2013 21:04

Thanks Eggs - she's drinking loads so fluids should be OK now that she's stopped vomiting... DD's finger prick was 2.9, so pretty close to yours, think it could be the same thing? Does it have a name - so I can ask the consultant on Fri?

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DontWannaBeObamasElf · 15/05/2013 21:04

When my daughter was born her blood sugar was low at every test for days, she had a sepsis infection and antibiotics cleared it and the sugar levels improved greatly. The infection also affected the way her stress hormone reacted to things, but I'm not sure if that could have anything to do with the urine result?

Gigaflops · 15/05/2013 21:26

Dontwannabe it could be that - the hosp did say she was showing some of the markers of an infection, so they sent the samples off to see if they could grow anything in them. If so, antibiotics I guess! I'm so glad the consensus is not diabetes - I was really worried about that...

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Heebiejeebie · 17/05/2013 00:25

Hope she's better now and that your appt tomorrow goes well.

NoForkNKnife · 17/05/2013 00:34

I'm type 1. It's very unlikely your DD has it.
To me, the results mean that the ketones were down to not eating (nothing to do with high blood sugar-think Atkins diet). I take it she hadn't eaten. I bet the hospital staff didn't take a 'blood ketones' test? This measured the dangerous type of ketones caused by high blood sugar.
Your daughters low blood sugar on the blood finger prick test confirms this.

Honestly. You would think one of the doctors would have a bloody clue!
Sorry you've had all this worry. But I'm sure I'm right.

megsmouse · 17/05/2013 09:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BlahBlahBlahhh · 17/05/2013 10:52

As a few people have mentioned, low blood sugar and ketones are due to not eating. Finger prick test is not as accurate as a blood sample. They should have got the results before you left hospital (doesn't take long to process in the lab). I'm sure it's all related to her 'bug', they would have admitted her yesterday if there was any concern x

fatginger · 17/05/2013 10:53

Just wanted to reiterate what others have said.

My daughter is Type 1 and was seriously ill with very high blood sugar when she was diagnosed so it's highly unlikely to be diabetes.

I have read somewhere that you can get fasting ketones in your urine if you don't have anything to eat for a longish period eg, like overnight. So if your daughter wasn't eating due to being poorly, they were probably down to that. I would imagine that also accounts for the low blood sugar.

wonderingsoul · 17/05/2013 11:00

i agree, if she hasnt been eating right for a few days, essp high carb food, the ketosis is likely to be from that, ketosist kicks in day 2-3 of no carb diets.

hope she is feeling better real soon and you get answrs

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