Channel 5 Emergency Bikers - Hypo

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getcarter76

getcarter76

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Don't know if anyone watched this this evening but its about Paramedics on bikes (based in Birmingham).

There was an approx 50 year old gentlemen who had a hypo on the street and so the Paramedic bikers were called. The Paramedic advised the TV crew as it were, that he administered 'oral glucose' but this was in the form of a Mars Bar and bottle of fizzy orange drink.

I am not sure i agree with this as chocolate can take some time to take effect and the poor chap was in a bit of a state of shock and looked like he was struggling with chewing 😱 All was alright in the end but i said to my OH that surely he should have administered hypogel or similar especially when jo public can be a bit ignorant about Diabetes and seemingly, this promotion of mars bars and sugary drinks to diabetics with "hypos" could be in fact misleading when Paramedics are called to give the necessary 'sugary', 'quick acting' glucose needed.

The poor chap was also left on the street (near a busy main road/bus stop) where there was a mound of spectators/school kids in the background. Not a great way of dealing with a hypo if you ask me!

Just my thoughts and i am not sure if he was T1 or T2 or what he BG was. Just wondered what the expert diabetics out there think of this/or if anyone saw it?

Bernie xx 🙂
 
Chocolate is far too fatty and the absorption is too slow. Much better to give fizzy drink (of course only if the person can swallow - otherwise they would need the glucogen injection).🙂Bev
 
Fizzy drink would be appropriate, the mars bar probably not as the first treatment (although personally I find them a pleasant 'back up' once my levels start rising 😉 )

Having said that, I couldn't honestly say I've never treated a hypo with just chocolate, despite knowing it's not the most appropriate thing to do, so I'm not really one to judge!!
 
Didn't see it, but I suspect that the 'Mars bar' theory has entered popular mythology. There are many. many better ways of treating a hypo, and I wonder if the mythology has now been asserting itself in paramedic training schools?
 
Back in the day before I got readmitted to the Diabetic clinic I always used Mars bars to treat a hypo as they were always around. They work but hey may take you too far the other way.

Marc
 
Watch this programme every week but yet to watch it (Sky+) but really surprised by a paramedic using a mars bar as a treatment for a hypo. The fat content of a mars bar would slow down the absorption of the glucose and is not ideal first choice, but a liquid form of glucose such as hypostop would have been more appropriate and easier to administer to a patient.

I wonder if this was the paramedics own choice for treating hypo's, or is this approach more common and widespread than we think, has anyone on the forum needed medical intervention before for a hypo from the ambulance service, if so what treatment was administered? Toby.
 
We all probably agree that a Mars Bar is not the usual method of treating a Hypo. However if I understand correctly that the man was in the city centre, where access to sugary delights are easier to come by than glucotabs or hypostop gel.

I'm sure the advice was directed at members of the public rather than persons with Diabetes.

If something happened to me then I would rather someone came to my aid and tried their best to get some sugar into me than not.
 
Hiya,

I saw this last night & made a similar remark to hubby - his comment was the paramedic probably doesn't want to use up his hypo gel in case he has to go to someone else in a worse state - horribly logical! The guy was awake, I think the paramedic gave him a chomp or two of mars bar whilst he opened a bottle of lucozade, which he gave next before making him finish off the mars bar - in fairness he seemed to perk up quite quickly... in fairness to the paramedic he seemed to spot what the problem was quite quickly, which was good to see...

It was interesting watching the hordes of kids behind (it was at a bus stop) - I did notice one of the kids trying (!) to get the others away - good one! 🙂 I think the paramedic did end up radioing for police backup to deal with the onlookers... not a nice reflection on today's society!
 
I think it's more logical that the paramedic knows how disgusting hypo gel actually tastes😱 And knows a likely reaction to attempting to administer it when the patient is semi consious?

My husband is also T1 diabetic, and I remember the only time I ever tried to give him hypo gel, never again he nearly broke my arm, I actually ended up calling for back-up, so ended with two ambulances and police cars all lights flashing outside my house😱😱 We did manage to sort him, without the police having to arrest him so they could put cuffs on him!

Paramedics will try to avoid the Gluogen Jab as there are aware that it takes away a safety net once used the liver store (our safety net) has been dumped, it has to be reblemished, any follow on hypo's until this store has been reblemished becomes a lot more dangerous has it is a lot harder to treat... You'll then looking to insert cannulars to get glucose straight into the blood, which isn't an easy feat to achieve... When the paramedics did this to my husband the knelt on hubby's arm, both to ensure the arm was stable and to get enough pressure to inject it through the cannular he had inserted, as I jammed/ wedged myself against my husband back to prevent him moving...

And my team wonder why I'm paranoid about myself suffering a hypo:confused:
 
I agree with the comments about Mars bar being fatty and slow absorption etc hence i was a little surprised.

My hubby works with Paramedics and is on the pathway to be one one day and he commented that at the very least he should have moved the poor chap. He also made a logical comment to me after posting this that it may be they don't carry Hypogel etc on them as they can only carry so much on their bike and may only carry the glucagon injection. Hence, i guess, the paramedic justifying this scenario to the camera. Seems fair enough point.

Bernie xx 🙂
 
Just posted and noted you wrote this Ellie 🙂

That sounds a nightmare re your hubby....sounds like you need to have some 'safety equipment' nearby...in all serious though, it can be quite frightening. I work for the Police and i have read about hypos/hypers where Police have attended to find out the person is 'diabetic' (all men i hasten to add - perhaps something to do with strength i don't know) but i understand the issue of hypogel....get that stuff near me and i suddenly come alive 😱

Bernie xx
 
Fair points re the hypo gel - awful stuff! 😱:D

I will have to get my hubby to read this thread so he realises how lucky he is that when I go hypo I only go all soppy & tearful hehe! Seriously though, it must be awful to have to try & treat someone who's just not cooperating for whatever reason - I don't envy you! Can totally understand why you'd be worried about hypos...

This is all a bit similar to that dreadful 'doctors' episode the other day - guess we should be grateful that nobody tried to shove gateux down the poor fellow's throat! 🙄 At least he seemed ok in the end...
 
Fortunately it?s a rare occurrence for hubby to get aggressive during a hypo; mind you I have got the duck and dive technique down to a fine art to get Jelly Babies into his mouth when required...

I?m pretty good on hypo?s, used to get very panicky hit the deck, with a confused theory, if you already on the floor then you can?t fall and hurt yourself? Fortunately in the 20+ years I?ve only had an ambulance out once many years ago, but before going on the insulin pump, I would have occasions where my ability to fathom out how to get into the Jelly baby pack or open luccozade bottle was just beyond me need 3rd party help to achieve lol

I didn?t watch the program so difficult to comment, but did the paramedic have anywhere more suitable and could he have moved the chap safely? Sometimes even though to us it may not seem the most appropriate place it may be the safest option to start treatment, the paramedic wouldn?t have anything to move the chap with, so would have had to walk him, was the chap coordination good enough to prevent a trip or fall in the process...

Mind you it does make you wonder, who took note of this chaps plight before the paramedic was called, I bet most walked past muttering ?another drunk? and it wasn?t until the paramedic got there, that Joe public curiosity kicked in!
 
And even is someone is drunk, they may need help. A few months ago, I found a woman on the pavement, smelling of alcohol (outside a pub). However, I think the fact that she'd been riding a bike with no working brakes had had more effect on her health. Anyway, I phone for an ambulance and waited until both she and bike were loaded aboard. Meanwhile, other members of the public walked past, tutting (obviously assuming she'd fallen out of the the pub, not off the bike), or ignoring. The womab was extremely thankful, and I was happy to help, particularly as others would have ignored her, so she might have tried to cycle further and hurt herself more.
 
Copepod said:
And even is someone is drunk, they may need help. A few months ago, I found a woman on the pavement, smelling of alcohol (outside a pub). However, I think the fact that she'd been riding a bike with no working brakes had had more effect on her health. Anyway, I phone for an ambulance and waited until both she and bike were loaded aboard. Meanwhile, other members of the public walked past, tutting (obviously assuming she'd fallen out of the the pub, not off the bike), or ignoring. The womab was extremely thankful, and I was happy to help, particularly as others would have ignored her, so she might have tried to cycle further and hurt herself more.
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About 20 years ago I was travelling back from Switzerland and got into a conversation/drinking session with a soldier on his way to Catterick for a reunion. He had to change trains at Sheffield, and I lived there at the time, so the drinking continued in the Station bar. Eventually, I decided it was time to leave (after 18 vodkas!) and caught a bus home. When I got off the bus my heavy pack caused me to topple over (not the drink, obviously😉). I was like a tortoise tipped on its back and struggled to get up! A car with a young couple in it stopped and helped me up then took me home in their car - I will always be grateful to them for their help!
 
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