ADS-ADEA 2015* The enigma of the 'Dead in Bed' syndrome (#2)
The ‘Dead-in-Bed Syndrome’ is a rare yet tragic condition that devastates families and instills fear into many health care professionals. It typically describes an event where a person with type 1 diabetes who had gone to bed in apparently good health, is then subsequently found dead, usually in the morning, and in an undisturbed bed implying absence of seizure activity. While autopsy studies do not demonstrate a cause of death, there is circumstantial and preclinical evidence indicating that nocturnal hypoglycaemia may often be a precipitant, causing a malignant arrhythmia. Clinical ante-mortem profiles typically describe relatively young, thin people with a proneness to recurrent severe hypoglycaemia. Our local data in recent years has attempted to explore frequency of the condition and the potential contributors, especially considering the contrasting commonality of nocturnal hypoglycaemia and yet the rarity of this terminal condition. This presentation will focus on recent developments in understanding of the pathogenesis of this syndrome and some current considerations in attempting to avoid its occurrence.
