About this topic
Hyperglycemia is also known as high blood sugar. It happens when the blood sugar is not controlled and gets too high. It may turn into a health problem known as diabetes. You may not know when your child has a high blood sugar level. However, a high level can cause your child to be thirsty, need to urinate or pee more often, and lose weight. ‚
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What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do to care for your child.
- Give your child all drugs as ordered by the doctor. Do not miss doses.
- Help your child check blood sugar levels as you are told by the doctor. Write down the readings.
- Offer your child fluids that do not have sugar in them.
- Plan meals for your child at the same time each day and about the same amount.
- Talk with your doctor about:
- A diet plan that is right for your child
- A workout plan that is right for your child
What follow-up care is needed?
- Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your childs progress. Be sure to keep these visits.
- Your child may need to have a test to check hemoglobin A1C levels every 3 to 6 months. Be sure to have this test done as ordered.
Will physical activity be limited?
Do not let your child play hard or work out if there are ketones in the urine. This could make these levels go higher. ‚
What problems could happen?
- High levels of acids called ketones build up in the blood. This is a very serious problem.
- Infection
- Injury to blood vessels and nerves
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
- Help your child keep a healthy weight.
- Encourage your child to exercise.
- Know the signs of high blood sugar and get help when needed.
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of low blood sugar. These include anger, shaking, a fast heartbeat, confusion, or sweating. Keep hard candies, glucose tablets, liquid glucose, or juice on hand for low blood sugar.
- Signs of high blood sugar. These include sleepiness, blurry eyesight, passing urine more often, increased thirst, breath has a fruity sweet smell, upset stomach and throwing up, dizziness, or passing out.
- Signs of fluid loss. These include dark-colored urine or no urine for more than 8 hours, dry mouth and tongue, dry skin, sunken eyes, lack of energy, feeling faint, or passing out.
- Blood sugar levels are high for more than 2 days
- Shortness of breath
- Throwing up
- Call the doctor right away if your child has signs of ketones in the urine
- Health problem is not better or your child is feeling worse
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you about your child. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my childs condition.
- I can tell you how often I need to check my child's blood sugar.
- I can tell you the signs of high blood sugar and what I will do if my child has them.
- I can tell you the signs of low blood sugar and what I will do if my child has them.
Where can I learn more?
American Diabetes Association ‚
http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-and-care/blood-glucose-control/hyperglycemia.html ‚
KidsHealth ‚
http://kidshealth.org/parent/diabetes_center/diabetes_basics/hyperglycemia.html ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚