The oral GTT is a poorly reproducible study and, for that reason alone, must be viewed with caution. To improperly label a patient as diabetic is as grave an injustice to him as is missing the diagnosis in a patient who is clearly diabetic on clinical and laboratory grounds. To make a point, there is no place in naval aviation for the overt diabetic, insulin-dependent or not. Hypoglycemia Hypoglycemia indicates excessively rapid removal of glucose from the blood or an inability of gluconeogenesis to sustain adequate glucose levels. Hypoglycemia, which is not a specific disease state in and of itself, is classified as being either functional or organic.
Organic hypoglycemia is related to a known anatomical lesion.
Functional hypoglycemia has no specific anatomical lesion. Iatrogenic - the diabetic who takes too much insulin. Factitous - abuse by patients who have access to hypoglycemic drugs. Alimentary hypoglycemia in postoperative gastrectomy or gastrojejunostomy patients. As a manifestation of glucose intolerance in the subclinical or latent diabetic.