The EMT should assess for hypoglycemia in small children with a severe illness or injury because

• A. a child's cells do not uptake glucose as rapidly as adults' do.
• B. children overproduce insulin during severe illness or injury.
• C. children cannot store excess glucose as effectively as adults.
• D. illness or injury causes the pancreas to produce less insulin.

Answer: (C)

In small children, energy stores and the ability to maintain normal blood glucose are limited. When a child is severely ill or injured, the body’s energy demands surge, and intake may be poor or interrupted. Because a child has smaller liver glycogen reserves and less capacity to mobilize glucose quickly, blood glucose can drop more readily under stress. This makes hypoglycemia a real risk that EMTs must assess for, since prompt recognition guides treatment to protect the brain and other vital organs.

So the best explanation is that children cannot store excess glucose as effectively as adults, leaving them more vulnerable to hypoglycemia during illness or injury. The other ideas don’t fit as well because hypoglycemia in this context isn’t primarily about how fast cells uptake glucose, overproduction of insulin, or reduced insulin production by the pancreas; the central issue is the limited glucose reserve and higher metabolic demand in children.