Emergency first response?

[Chatterbox]

New to having T2 diabetes and think I'm right in saying that because I have readings around 7.5 and not on meds I wont have a hypo.

After seeing the program about life saving tonight and a true story about a man having a hypo on the tube and no one responding and leaving it till the paramedics arrive.

What should they have done? Would the response need to be different for T1s, T1.5s and T2s?

 

[Copepod]

The appropriate first aid for anyone with diabetes acting strangely, but conscious, is to give sugar in any form. If the person is actually hyperglycaemic, a bit more sugar won't make much difference, but a bit can solve hypoglycaemia.

Searching in a person's pockets / bags might be interpreted as stealing and a hypoglycaemic person can look very like a drunk person, so I can understand why general public don't always act.

 

[DeusXM]

If they're conscious, administer sugar/glucose. If they're not, either administer glucagon (if available) or call a paramedic. There used to be guidelines that suggested smearing jam inside the cheeks of an unconscious person but this has since been revised as it's believed to cause a choking hazard.

However, as you are new to diabetes, I must stress that having a hypo that incapacitates you should be an extremely rare occurance. Most people with diabetes will instinctively feel when their blood sugar is dropping and can take corrective action before it becomes a problem.

 

[Chatterbox]

Thank you Copepod and DeuxXM.

That has put my mind at ease. It seemed a missed opportunity for the program not to say.

 

[Kwaka1]

I think that particular gentleman was Hyperglaecemic.

 

[Vicsetter]

One point to note is don't believe everything you see on TV or read in the press. It's either wrong or exaggerated unless in a documentary program (and even then not always correct).