Decreased blood glucose that may develop after taking too much prescribed insulin is called what?

• A. Stroke
• B. Insulin shock
• C. Ischemic stroke
• D. Embolic stroke

Answer: (B)

Severe hypoglycemia caused by taking too much insulin is insulin shock. When insulin lowers blood glucose too much, the brain loses its main energy source, leading to symptoms such as sweating, rapid heart rate, confusion, shakiness, and can progress to seizures or unconsciousness. This is a metabolic emergency, not a vascular one. Strokes, including ischemic or embolic, result from blocked or reduced blood flow to brain tissue and present with sudden focal neurological deficits, not the global symptoms seen with hypoglycemia. In the field, treat with fast-acting glucose if the patient can swallow; if not, administer IV dextrose or glucagon.