A Cross-Sectional Study on the Incidence and Severity of Hypoglycemia During Hemodialysis in ESRD: Diabetic and Non-Diabetic Cases

Background: Hypoglycemia is frequent in patients with ESRD with or without diabetes and those receiving hemodialysis. It is important to know the occurrence and prognosis of this condition to better manage patients with it.

Objective: The objective of this study is to measure the incidence and magnitude of hypoglycemia in ESRD patients during hemodialysis and to compare diabetic and non-diabetic cases.

Methods: This cross-sectional observational survey was carried out from February2023 to July 2023 at Community Based Medical College in Bangladesh. In this cross-sectional study, 156 ESRD patients with regular hemodialysis were recruited. Self-measured capillary blood glucose levels were recorded during dialysis, and hypoglycemia episodes were graded. All data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 25.

Results: The study included 156 ESRD patients undergoing hemodialysis. Hypoglycemia occurred in 100% of diabetic patients and 38.71% of non-diabetic patients. Among diabetics, 46.88% experienced Level 2 and 43.75% Level 3 hypoglycemia. For non-diabetics, 24.19% had Level 2 and 6.45% Level 3 hypoglycemia. Overall, 51.28% of all patients experienced hypoglycemia, with diabetics at significantly higher risk for severe episodes.

Conclusion: Thus, the incidence of hypoglycemia during hemodialysis is extremely high with ESRD patients, and diabetics are more prone to severe episodes. They are also at great risk if they are non-diabetic patients. These findings underscore the importance of better surveillance and intervention efforts, especially for patients with diabetic end-stage renal disease receiving hemodialysis. The guidelines for the prevention and treatment of hypoglycemia deserve further research in order to create better prevention and intervention strategies for this population.