The role of glucose infusion

I believe many people are familiar with glucose. In many cases, especially when the patient is weak, doctors often inject glucose into the patient. Glucose has many functions, such as replenishing heat energy, supplementing nutrition through veins, and treating symptoms such as hypoglycemia, starvation ketosis, dehydration, hyperkalemia, and tissue dehydration. Next, I will introduce to you the effects and functions of glucose.

1. Supplement heat energy

When the patient eats less or is unable to eat for some reason, he or she can generally be given 25% glucose injection intravenously and replenish body fluids at the same time. The amount of glucose is calculated based on the required heat energy.

2. Total intravenous nutrition therapy

Glucose is the most important energy supply substance for this therapy. In non-protein heat energy, the ratio of heat provided by glucose and fat is 2:1. The specific amount depends on clinical heat needs. Depending on the amount of fluid replacement required, glucose can be prepared into different concentrations of 25% to 50%. Insulin can be added if necessary, with 1 unit of regular insulin added for every 5 to 10 grams of glucose. Since normal use of hypertonic glucose solution is highly irritating to veins and requires infusion of fat emulsion, large intravenous drip is generally used.

3. Hypoglycemia

In severe cases, 20-40 ml of 50% glucose injection can be given by intravenous push.

4. Starvation Ketosis

In severe cases, 5% to 25% glucose injection can be given by intravenous drip. 100g of glucose per day can basically control the condition.

5. Water loss

Isotonic water loss was treated by intravenous drip of 5% glucose injection.

6. Hyperkalemia

Using 10% to 25% injection solution, adding 1 unit of regular insulin for every 2 to 4 g of glucose infusion can reduce serum potassium concentration. However, this therapy only allows extracellular potassium ions to enter cells, and the total potassium content in the body remains unchanged. If potassium removal measures are not taken, hyperkalemia may still occur again.

7. Tissue dehydration

Rapid intravenous injection of 20 to 50 ml of hypertonic solution (generally 50% glucose injection) is used. But the effect is short-lived. In clinical practice, attention should be paid to preventing hyperglycemia and it is currently used less frequently. When used to regulate the osmotic pressure of peritoneal dialysis fluid, 20 ml of 50% glucose injection, i.e. 10 g of glucose, can increase the osmotic pressure of 1 L of peritoneal dialysis fluid by 55 mOsm/kg H2O.