Dka On An Episode Of Doc Martin On Itv

[grahams mum]

i was just watching itv and they show a dka coma and it was not done too bad the thing that i found a bit strange he was talking about preparing 10 ml of insuline from the pharmacist or nurse i thought everybody use unit not ml then she did not have to go to hospital and one of the police that brethalized her thought that she was drunk but was ketones and no alcool is that possible ?

 

[Northerner]

I vaguely remember that episode Daniela. I wonder when it was first on? I also thought they had to always use units because of the danger of getting the dose incorrect. There was a case a while back where someone had used the wrong syringe and therefore given the wrong dose - they are always supposed to use insulin syringes, not ordinary ones.

Hadn't the lady been drinking wine or something earlier? Might explain the breathalizer (I could be wrong, a while since I saw it!)

 

[grahams mum]

i really did not watch the all episode i just come back from the school run

 

[margie]

I have an old copy of diabetes at your fingertips and there is a question in it on breathalysers.

It says that some alcolmeters measure ketones as well as alcohol, the two readings are separate, and that people breathalysed and showing ketones would be advises by the police to consult their Dr.

I would imagine the same applies today but whether a script writer would get the subtlety I don't know and I didn't see the episode - so am unsure what they actually said.

 

[Garthion]

Some old breathalysers (Pre 2000) falsely claimed ketones as alcohol, and were quickly changed, was in the news around then as some diabetics were becoming severly ill at the police station due to this. The breathalyser shown in Doc Martin is meant to be one of these, not a new one.

That ep was mostly good though parts of it could have been better, like all portrayals of diabetes on TV 😉