Which is an emergency medicine used to treat severe hypoglycaemia?

BTSC 3 August 2025

Medical & Surgical Nursing

Easy

Appeared in: BTSC 3 August 2025

Explanation

Glucagon is a hormone used for the emergency treatment of severe hypoglycemia, especially in patients who are unconscious or unable to take oral glucose.
It works by stimulating the liver to convert its stored glycogen into glucose (glycogenolysis), which is then released into the bloodstream, rapidly raising blood sugar levels.
Glucagon is effective when administered via subcutaneous (SC) or intramuscular (IM) injection, making it suitable for use by family members or first responders.

Option A: Insulin's primary function is to lower blood glucose levels by promoting glucose uptake into cells. Administering it during a hypoglycemic episode would worsen the condition and could be fatal.
Option B: Serotonin is a neurotransmitter involved in mood, sleep, and appetite regulation. It does not have a direct or rapid effect on blood glucose levels.
Option D: Calcitonin is a hormone that regulates calcium and phosphate in the blood, primarily by inhibiting osteoclast activity in bones. It has no role in glucose metabolism.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Emergency Management of Severe Hypoglycemia as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses must be able to rapidly recognize severe hypoglycemia (e.g., confusion, unresponsiveness, seizures) and intervene immediately to prevent irreversible brain damage or death.
A key nursing action is to position an unconscious patient on their side before administering glucagon to prevent aspiration, as vomiting is a common side effect upon regaining consciousness.
What if? If the patient with severe hypoglycemia is in a hospital setting and already has intravenous (IV) access, the preferred first-line treatment is typically IV dextrose (e.g., 25-50g), as it provides glucose directly into the bloodstream for the most rapid effect.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core clinical problem in the question: treating 'severe hypoglycaemia' on an 'emergency' basis.
The goal is to find a substance that rapidly raises blood glucose levels.
Evaluate each option's primary physiological function.
Eliminate Insulin, as its function is to lower blood glucose, which is the opposite of what is needed.
Eliminate Serotonin and Calcitonin by recalling that their primary roles are in neurotransmission and calcium regulation, respectively, not acute glucose control.
Identify Glucagon as the counter-regulatory hormone to insulin, whose function is to raise blood glucose by acting on the liver. This makes it the correct choice for this emergency.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Emergency Management of Severe Hypoglycemia
Stem keywords: emergency medicine, severe hypoglycaemia
Lead-in keywords: Which is
Clinical cues: The care setting changes urgency, monitoring level, and the expected nursing action.

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