Formulary
Glucagon: Indications, Dosing, Side Effects and Interactions
Glucagon clinical drug profile including indications, dosing, side effects, cautions and interactions.
MedNext Academy | 3 min read
Glucagon: Indications, Dosing, Side Effects and Interactions
Glucagon clinical drug profile including indications, dosing, side effects, cautions and interactions.
Indications and dose
**Diabetic hypoglycaemia**
- **Child** (By Subcutaneous Injection, Or By Intramuscular Injection): 9-17 years (body-weight 25 kg and above) 1 mg, if no response within 10 minutes intravenous glucose must be given.
- **Adult** (By Subcutaneous Injection, Or By Intramuscular Injection): 1 mg, if no response within 10 minutes intravenous glucose must be given.
**Diagnostic aid**
- **Adult** (By Intravenous Injection, Or By Intramuscular Injection): (consult product literature).
**Diabetic hypoglycaemia for glucagon**
- **Neonate** (By subcutaneous injection, or by intramuscular injection): 20 micrograms/kg.
- **Child 1 month-8 years (body-weight up to 25 kg)** (By subcutaneous injection, or by intramuscular injection): 500 micrograms, if no response within 10 minutes intravenous glucose must be given.
- **Child 9-17 years (body-weight 25 kg and above)** (By subcutaneous injection, or by intramuscular injection): 1 mg, if no response within 10 minutes intravenous glucose must be given.
**Endogenous hyperinsulinism for glucagon**
- **Neonate** (By intramuscular injection, or by intravenous injection): 200 micrograms/kg (max. per dose 1 mg) for 1 dose.
- **Child 1 month-1 year** (By intramuscular injection, or by intravenous injection): 1 mg for 1 dose.
- **Neonate** (By continuous intravenous infusion): 1-18 micrograms/kg/hour (max. per dose 50 micrograms/kg/hour), adjusted according to response.
- **Child 1 month-1 year** (By continuous intravenous infusion): 1-10 micrograms/kg/hour, dose to be adjusted as necessary.
**Diagnosis of growth hormone secretion (specialist use only) for glucagon**
- **Child** (By intramuscular injection): 100 micrograms/kg (max. per dose 1 mg) for 1 dose, dose may vary, consult local guidelines.
**Severe hypotension, heart failure or cardiogenic shock due to acute overdosage of beta-blockers for glucagon**
- **Child** (Initially by intravenous injection): 50-150 micrograms/kg (max. per dose 10 mg), administered over 1-2 minutes, followed by (by intravenous infusion) 50 micrograms/kg/hour, titrated according to response.
Cautions
Glucagonoma; ineffective in chronic hypoglycaemia, starvation, and adrenal insufficiency; insulinoma; when used in the diagnosis of growth hormone secretion, delayed hypoglycaemia may result-deaths reported (ensure a meal is eaten before discharge) (in children)
Contraindications
Phaeochromocytoma
Side effects
Common or very common Nausea Uncommon Vomiting Rare or very rare Abdominal pain; hypertension; hypotension; tachycardia
Interactions
**Other interactions (4):**
- Insulin: Reacts antagonistically towards glucagon.
- Indomethacin: Glucagon may lose its ability to raise blood glucose or paradoxically may even produce hypoglycaemia.
- Warfarin: Glucagon may increase the anticoagulant effect of warfarin.
- Beta-blockers: Patients taking beta-blockers might be expected to have a greater increase in both pulse and blood pressure, an increase of which will be temporary because of glucagon's short...
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Clinical governance
**Author:** MedNext Clinical Team. **Clinical reviewer:** Dr Shameer Deen, MBBS, MS, MRCS. **Sources:** BNF, Indian Pharmacopoeia, CIMS India. **Correction:** Report errors at support@mednext.academy.
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