HYPERGLYCEMIA FOLLOWING HEAD INJURIES AN EXPERIMENTAL CLINICAL STUDY

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Abstract
Head injuries of sufficient severity to cause loss of consciousness result constantly in hyperglycemia, which subsides within a few days. This has been found in experiments on 26 dogs and in a small number of clinical cases (10). Section of the splanchnic nerves in the dog abolished this hyperglycemia. The sympathetic discharge originating in the higher centers of sugar regulation is unable to reach the liver and mobilize glycogen. This state of sympathicotonia manifesting itself in increased epinephrin susceptibility was tested in patients shortly after and many months following the head injury. While the immediate response was stronger than in controls, the late curves were mostly negative with the exception of those who had marked residual damage. A few patients were found whose epinephrin curve was not abnormally high but showed a delay in returning to normal. These patients were all above 40 years and may have had a mild pancreatic damage, not uncommon at this age and deserving careful consideration.

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