Intranasal glucagon treatment relieves hypoglycaemia in children with type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus.

The aim of the present study was to compare intra-nasal glucagon with subcutaneous glucagon as a treatment of insulin-induced hypoglycaemia in 11 children, 7-12 years old, with Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus. Hypoglycaemia (1.6 +/- 0.1 vs 1.8 +/- 0.2 mmol/l) was induced twice in each child by continuous insulin and variable glucose infusions. One milligram of intranasal glucagon or 0.5 mg of subcutaneous glucagon was given in a randomized order. At 15 min after the administrations of either intranasal or subcutaneous glucagon, the blood glucose concentration increased by 1.5 +/- 0.2 mmol/l or 1.7 +/- 0.2 mmol/l above the glucose nadir, respectively. After nasal administration, the maximal rise in blood glucose was seen after 25 min. Subcutaneous injections induced higher and more sustained plasma glucagon concentrations but the children suffered more often from nausea than when they were treated intranasally. In conclusion, treatment with intranasal glucagon seems to be efficient and results in a rapid correction of insulin-induced hypoglycaemia with few side-effects.