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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Journal of Social Health and Diabetes 2015; 03(01): 022-025
DOI: 10.4103/2321-0656.140880
Review Article
NovoNordisk Education Foundation

Dead in bed syndrome: Mystery and fear

Resham Raj Poudel
Department of Medicine, Om Saibaba Memorial Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal
,
Nisha Kusum Kafle
1   Department of Public Health, Institute of Medicine, Kathmandu, Nepal
,
Bipin Belbase
2   Department of Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Kathmandu, Nepal
,
Pradip Kumar Kafle
2   Department of Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Kathmandu, Nepal
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
21 November 2018 (online)

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Abstract

Dead in bed (DIB) syndrome is a poorly understood cause of sudden and mysterious death in young people with type 1 diabetes on insulin therapy. Severe nocturnal hypoglycemia with unawareness is the most plausible mechanism which precipitates fatal arrhythmia in the vulnerable individual. Avoiding recurrent hypoglycemic episodes; screening for proarrhythmic condition in high-risk people with positive family history; and using real-time continuous glucose monitoring device in those with nighttime hypoglycemia and hypoglycemia unawareness can help to reduce the incidence of this deadly condition.

Arrhythmia - dead in bed syndrome - hypoglycemia - type 1 diabetes
 

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