A 47-year-old woman with no significant past medical history…
A 47-year-old woman with no significant past medical history, is sent to the Emergency Department for complaints of feeling “weak and dizzy.” She states that she was feeling well up until about an hour ago, when she began to feel as if she were going to “pass out.” Her husband accompanied her to the hospital and stated that she appeared nervous, confused, and was tremulous. When he asked her what was wrong, she did not seem to understand him. However, she did not appear to have lost consciousness. Upon arrival in the Emergency Department, she was found on examination to have tachycardia and generalized weakness. She was conscious, but slightly disoriented. She was afebrile. Her laboratory tests were normal with the exception of a blood glucose level of 47 mg/dL. The patient received treatment with 50% dextrose and improved immediately. Based on this information, what is the most likely cause of this patient’s symptoms?