A multimodal approach using somatosensory evoked potentials for prognostication in hypoglycemic encephalopathy

OBJECTIVES: We present a case of a patient with hypoglycemic encephalopathy with loss of median nerve N20 somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) and describe our multimodal approach to prognostication in hypoglycemic encephalopathy. CASE: The patient was a 67-year-old woman with type 2 diabetes and stage 5 chronic kidney disease hospitalized for hypoglycemic encephalopathy. SSEPs showed bilateral absence of the median nerve N20 response. She ultimately suffered a poor outcome. DISCUSSION: There are no high-quality evidence-based clinical, neurophysiologic, or imaging studies available to aid in neurologic outcome prediction in hypoglycemic encephalopathy. In our practice we use a multimodal approach to neurologic prognostication, similar to that used in coma after cardiac arrest that includes SSEPs, EEG, and brain MRI, which enables an estimate of the severity of brain injury. As the literature is largely based on small studies or case reports, and is extrapolated from the cardiac arrest literature, we caution against early prognostication and disposition including the withdrawal of care, to avoid a self-fulfilling prophecy.