Morphine pump/hypoglycemia

bigbaldguy

bigbaldguy

Former medic seven years 911 service in houston
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Quick question for you ALS folks. Had a call for a patient who had a morphine pump. Patient was altered so we did a glucose check and it came back at 24. Patient had no previous hx of hypoglycemia. Could the long term use of morphine be related to the hypoglycemia or do you think it was unrelated? I found some vague references online to morphine causing low blood sugar in a few instances but nothing more concrete.
 
Morphine inhibits corticotropin releasing hormone, which lowers ACTH secretion, which will reduce the secretion of gluco and mineral steroids.

The pathophysiology is similar to Addison's disease.
 
Veneficus said:
Morphine inhibits corticotropin releasing hormone, which lowers ACTH secretion, which will reduce the secretion of gluco and mineral steroids.

The pathophysiology is similar to Addison's disease.
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Ok so that's a yes it can cause low blood sugar? Please remember your speaking to a basic (and a new one at that). Small words delivered slowly please and no sudden movements as I startle easily. Lol I will google addisons disease when I get a moment.

Thanks :)
 
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Veneficus said:
I suggest both Guyton's physiology and Robbin's Pathological Basis of Disease as reference books to your personal library.
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Doubt they'd make much sense to me at this point but I'll definitely work on fixing that.

Thanks
 
bigbaldguy said:
Doubt they'd make much sense to me at this point but I'll definitely work on fixing that.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Guyton's assumes you know nothing and takes you from there to the maximum in very userfriendly style.

Robbin's gives you a brief synopsis on how things work before telling you how they break.

I don't think you will have difficulty with either of them.
 
Outstanding. Sounds like my kind of reads. I'm ordering them tonight. Thanks!

Ordered em. Found them used on amazon for almost nothing. Thanks again.
 
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