Hypoglycemia
Dextrose dosing for clinically significant hypoglycemia in infants and children. Newborn management is covered separately on the NICU and Neonatal pages.
Hypoglycemia
This page is a scope and evidence landing page for infants and children who are not newborns. The 2025 AHA/AAP pediatric advanced life support guideline covers children up to 18 years in emergency and resuscitation AHA/AAP PALS 2025, PMID 411228852025 AHA/AAP PALS Guideline · 2025 · Circulation2025 AHA/AAP pediatric advanced life support guideline covering prearrest, intra-arrest, and post-cardiac arrest care for infants and children up to 18 years (excluding newborns).View source ↗ settings, but it does not replace a local hypoglycemia protocol or patient-specific medication verification (AHA/AAP PALS 2025, PMID 411228852025 AHA/AAP PALS Guideline · 2025 · Circulation2025 AHA/AAP pediatric advanced life support guideline covering prearrest, intra-arrest, and post-cardiac arrest care for infants and children up to 18 years (excluding newborns).View source ↗).
Immediate safety checks
- Confirm the glucose result and assess airway, breathing, circulation, mental status, seizure activity, and the ability to protect the airway.
- Treat symptomatic or critically low glucose promptly using the institution’s pediatric protocol AHA/AAP PALS 2025, PMID 411228852025 AHA/AAP PALS Guideline · 2025 · Circulation2025 AHA/AAP pediatric advanced life support guideline covering prearrest, intra-arrest, and post-cardiac arrest care for infants and children up to 18 years (excluding newborns).View source ↗. Select the glucose dose in mg/kg and concentration separately AHA/AAP PALS 2025, PMID 411228852025 AHA/AAP PALS Guideline · 2025 · Circulation2025 AHA/AAP pediatric advanced life support guideline covering prearrest, intra-arrest, and post-cardiac arrest care for infants and children up to 18 years (excluding newborns).View source ↗; do not use the former age-banded D10/D25/D50 volume table.
- Recheck glucose after treatment and address the cause and risk of recurrence AHA/AAP PALS 2025, PMID 411228852025 AHA/AAP PALS Guideline · 2025 · Circulation2025 AHA/AAP pediatric advanced life support guideline covering prearrest, intra-arrest, and post-cardiac arrest care for infants and children up to 18 years (excluding newborns).View source ↗. Persistent, recurrent, or unexplained hypoglycemia needs urgent senior and specialty evaluation.
Population boundaries
- Newborn hypoglycemia is a separate clinical pathway and is not covered here; use neonatal guidance and local newborn protocols.
- Adult hypoglycemia is not covered here; use an adult-specific protocol.
- This page intentionally does not provide bedside compounding instructions, fixed bolus volumes, or an order set. Verify formulation, route, access, monitoring, and follow-up against local policy before administration.