Evaluation of diagnostic fasting in the investigation of hypoglycemia in children omani experienc

To assess the safety and importance of diagnostic fast in the evaluation of hypoglycemia in children in a non-specialist set up. The medical records of 116 patients with hypoglycemia, admitted to Pediatric Unit, Royal Hospital, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, over a 15 year period, were reviewed. Of these, 96 (82.8%) patients, 52 boys and 44 girls, aged 8 days to 10 years were subjected to diagnostic fast. Of these 96 patients fasted, 77 (80.2%) became hypoglycemic (HG group) and 19 (19.8 %) did not develop hypoglycemia on fast (NHG group). In the HG group, 69 (89.6%) patients developed symptomatic hypoglycemia of variable severity and none developed coma or convulsions during fasting. The study has proved that diagnostic fast is relatively a safe procedure with considerable amount of diagnostic yield.