Aim : To assess the degree of disturbance in blood glucose (BG) homeostasis in children with fulminant viral hepatitis (FVH).
Methods : BG levels on admission and serially at periodic intervals on intravenous glucose infusions were recorded in 18 FVH cases and in 18 disease controls. Hypoglycaemia (BG180 mg/dl) was recorded in 3 (16.7%) FVH cases and all 3 died. Mean BG level ± SD was 266.2 ± 85.4 mg/dl. In 1 of these 3 FVH cases hyperglycaemia was recorded even terminally. Conclusions : In children with FVH an inability to maintain normoglycaemia inspite of intravenous glucose infusions reflects a significant decrease in functioning hepatocellular mass. Intractable hypoglycaemia and intermittent hyperglycaemia are biochemical which presage a fatal outcome.