Glaring error in last night's Casualty

[Derrick Baughan]

I have just sent a complaint to the BBC, the text is below. did anyone else notice this?

In the series a Chef was taken to hospital due to collapsing at work. The paramedic told the nurses that the patient had experienced a 'hypo' and attributed this to the patient having eaten a breakfast that was too high in sugar. The paramedic then stated that he had treated the patient with insulin.

This is dangerously inaccurate. You will be able to research this in detail but a 'hypo' is short for a hypoglycaemic attack. This occurs when the body's blood glucose level is dangerously low. It can cause a range of symptoms such as dizziness and fainting. It is treated by taking in sugar based products such as glucose tablets. It is not caused by too much sugar, as your programme stated, quite the opposite.

If a diabetic had a 'hypo' and was given insulin this would drive the blood glucose level even lower. This could lead to death. As a diabetic I have come across this type of ignorance in the general public. I use the word ignorance to mean lack of knowledge, not as a pejorative one.

The reason that the error in your programme is dangerous is that it reinforces the misconception above and could result in someone, well intentioned, taking the completely wrong action and putting people's lives at risk.

Fortunately, real paramedics have the correct facts. When they come across a diabetic who has fainted, the first thing they do is check blood glucose levels. I know this as it happened to me. Fortunately it was not a hypo that caused the faint. If paramedics do find dangerously low blood glucose level they are likely to use a glucagon injection, or something similar, to stabilise them.

I would be grateful if you would issue some form of correction to ensure these incorrect facts are not reinforced.

 

[Amigo]

I have just sent a complaint to the BBC, the text is below. did anyone else notice this?

In the series a Chef was taken to hospital due to collapsing at work. The paramedic told the nurses that the patient had experienced a 'hypo' and attributed this to the patient having eaten a breakfast that was too high in sugar. The paramedic then stated that he had treated the patient with insulin.

This is dangerously inaccurate. You will be able to research this in detail but a 'hypo' is short for a hypoglycaemic attack. This occurs when the body's blood glucose level is dangerously low. It can cause a range of symptoms such as dizziness and fainting. It is treated by taking in sugar based products such as glucose tablets. It is not caused by too much sugar, as your programme stated, quite the opposite.

If a diabetic had a 'hypo' and was given insulin this would drive the blood glucose level even lower. This could lead to death. As a diabetic I have come across this type of ignorance in the general public. I use the word ignorance to mean lack of knowledge, not as a pejorative one.

The reason that the error in your programme is dangerous is that it reinforces the misconception above and could result in someone, well intentioned, taking the completely wrong action and putting people's lives at risk.

Fortunately, real paramedics have the correct facts. When they come across a diabetic who has fainted, the first thing they do is check blood glucose levels. I know this as it happened to me. Fortunately it was not a hypo that caused the faint. If paramedics do find dangerously low blood glucose level they are likely to use a glucagon injection, or something similar, to stabilise them.

I would be grateful if you would issue some form of correction to ensure these incorrect facts are not reinforced.

Well said and written Derrick. Frankly they are bl**dy idiots giving this level of inaccurate and dangerous advice.

 

[mikeyB]

I must admit, I never watch casualty. Nobody ever gets diabetes right, the film Con Air being a prime example. It seems to me to that diabetes is just a cypher for a medical emergency, and the only treatment to fix it is an insulin injection.

That said, Derrick, your letter is exemplary, and if get a response, which I expect you will, do let us know what anodyne reply you do get.

 

[Amberzak]

It happens so very often. I’ve actually been black listed for writing on a certain tv soap because on my screenwriting masters course we had one of the key writers in, and they showed us the episode they wrote, and it had a very similar error in it. I picked him up on that.

It makes me angry. Not because I’m a diabetic, but because I think it’s just plain laziness of the writer to not do their research. It doesn’t take much.

 

[Kaylz]

I'm afraid to say you wont get a great response to your complaint as you are wrong
I heard Ian say he had a sugary breakfast and to try and sort his high levels he overcompensated with his OWN insulin and they had in fact treated him with IV glucose, I've just double checked this on the I player x

 

[Northerner]

Very well-written Derrick, I hope they respond and apologise, and issue a correction. Millions watch Casualty so it's not like it's some minor youtube channel 😡

Casualty have been guilty of completely making up diabetes stories in the past, anyone remember the Cornish insulin episode? 😱 😉


Cornish Clotted Insulin


TV dramas vary in their respect for accuracy when including a diabetes storyline, which is a shame as the general public’s knowledge of the correct facts about the disease and its treatment is further confused by this lacksadaisical approach. Recently, there was an episode of the BBC hospital drama ‘Casualty’ which involved a young diabetic girl who was involved in a boating accident. We learned that the girl had strict moral principles and refused to be treated with any insulin that had been tested on animals. To my knowledge, this excludes all insulin currently available, unless somewhere there is a type that has only ever been tested on humans (or is in fact acquired directly from other humans!)

Animal insulin is obtained from the pancreases of slaughtered animals, and the synthetic stuff has all undergone animal trials before being approved for human use (although I could be wrong about that). So, what did the girl use instead? Cornish insulin of course! Apparently, the only stockist of her particular type was Jacob’s Pharmacy in Penzance, Cornwall – quite a distance from the hospital she now found herself in. As a result, a debate ensued whether to override her principles and give her a more readily available kind. Eventually, after she had developed diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and fallen promptly into a diabetic coma, an enterprising young doctor administered some ‘common’ insulin and hey presto! she recovered!

Clearly, Jacob’s Cornish Insulin is not a well–known alternative, and must therefore be a secret, family preparation that is not widely publicised, and most probably based on the renowned Cornish ice cream – that delicious, golden yellow, creamy concoction that has delighted both young and old for decades…

Now, there’s Novo and Aventis and Eli Lilley too,
All pharmaceutical giants that take care of me and you,
But have you heard of Jacob’s? The Chemist of Penzance?
He’s the only known supplier of a remarkable advance!

For, once we all thought insulin was porcine or bovine,
But Jacob’s stocks a product that is utterly divine!
If you’re allergic to synthetic, and against the animal kind,
Then there’s only one type you can use, though it may not spring to mind!

Cornish clotted insulin! An ice cream-based solution!
In the field of diabetes treatment it’s a total revolution!
In seconds it will bring you round from ketoacidosis,
So ask for Cornish insulin at your Type 1 diagnosis!

It’s only stocked at Jacob’s, it’s the only place on Earth –
An insulin monopoly, goodness knows what it is worth!
But Jacob’s secret recipe, handed down throughout the ages
Keeps the people of Penzance employed on very decent wages!

Now Jacob has some other plans, still on a dairy theme,
For a fudge-based sulphonylurea that involves some clotted cream,
And a Cornish pastie statin to keep cholesterol low,
And a pilchard source of omega-3, caught fresh in Polperro! 😱

 

[Derrick Baughan]

I'm afraid to say you wont get a great response to your complaint as you are wrong
I heard Ian say he had a sugary breakfast and to try and sort his high levels he overcompensated with his OWN insulin and they had in fact treated him with IV glucose, I've just double checked this on the I player x

Thanks for that and well spotted. I am embarrassed as I did check on iPlayer and still heard it wrong. Sorry to everyone for setting hares running.

 

[Derrick Baughan]

I have just sent a complaint to the BBC, the text is below. did anyone else notice this?

In the series a Chef was taken to hospital due to collapsing at work. The paramedic told the nurses that the patient had experienced a 'hypo' and attributed this to the patient having eaten a breakfast that was too high in sugar. The paramedic then stated that he had treated the patient with insulin.

This is dangerously inaccurate. You will be able to research this in detail but a 'hypo' is short for a hypoglycaemic attack. This occurs when the body's blood glucose level is dangerously low. It can cause a range of symptoms such as dizziness and fainting. It is treated by taking in sugar based products such as glucose tablets. It is not caused by too much sugar, as your programme stated, quite the opposite.

If a diabetic had a 'hypo' and was given insulin this would drive the blood glucose level even lower. This could lead to death. As a diabetic I have come across this type of ignorance in the general public. I use the word ignorance to mean lack of knowledge, not as a pejorative one.

The reason that the error in your programme is dangerous is that it reinforces the misconception above and could result in someone, well intentioned, taking the completely wrong action and putting people's lives at risk.

Fortunately, real paramedics have the correct facts. When they come across a diabetic who has fainted, the first thing they do is check blood glucose levels. I know this as it happened to me. Fortunately it was not a hypo that caused the faint. If paramedics do find dangerously low blood glucose level they are likely to use a glucagon injection, or something similar, to stabilise them.

I would be grateful if you would issue some form of correction to ensure these incorrect facts are not reinforced.

Thanks for Kaylz for spotting MY glaring error. I have now contacted the BBC to explain what an idiot I am and asked them to withdraw the complaint. Not a good start to joining the forum, must try harder.

 

[Davein]

Very well-written Derrick, I hope they respond and apologise, and issue a correction. Millions watch Casualty so it's not like it's some minor youtube channel 😡

Casualty have been guilty of completely making up diabetes stories in the past, anyone remember the Cornish insulin episode? 😱 😉


Cornish Clotted Insulin


TV dramas vary in their respect for accuracy when including a diabetes storyline, which is a shame as the general public’s knowledge of the correct facts about the disease and its treatment is further confused by this lacksadaisical approach. Recently, there was an episode of the BBC hospital drama ‘Casualty’ which involved a young diabetic girl who was involved in a boating accident. We learned that the girl had strict moral principles and refused to be treated with any insulin that had been tested on animals. To my knowledge, this excludes all insulin currently available, unless somewhere there is a type that has only ever been tested on humans (or is in fact acquired directly from other humans!)

Animal insulin is obtained from the pancreases of slaughtered animals, and the synthetic stuff has all undergone animal trials before being approved for human use (although I could be wrong about that). So, what did the girl use instead? Cornish insulin of course! Apparently, the only stockist of her particular type was Jacob’s Pharmacy in Penzance, Cornwall – quite a distance from the hospital she now found herself in. As a result, a debate ensued whether to override her principles and give her a more readily available kind. Eventually, after she had developed diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and fallen promptly into a diabetic coma, an enterprising young doctor administered some ‘common’ insulin and hey presto! she recovered!

Clearly, Jacob’s Cornish Insulin is not a well–known alternative, and must therefore be a secret, family preparation that is not widely publicised, and most probably based on the renowned Cornish ice cream – that delicious, golden yellow, creamy concoction that has delighted both young and old for decades…

Now, there’s Novo and Aventis and Eli Lilley too,
All pharmaceutical giants that take care of me and you,
But have you heard of Jacob’s? The Chemist of Penzance?
He’s the only known supplier of a remarkable advance!

For, once we all thought insulin was porcine or bovine,
But Jacob’s stocks a product that is utterly divine!
If you’re allergic to synthetic, and against the animal kind,
Then there’s only one type you can use, though it may not spring to mind!

Cornish clotted insulin! An ice cream-based solution!
In the field of diabetes treatment it’s a total revolution!
In seconds it will bring you round from ketoacidosis,
So ask for Cornish insulin at your Type 1 diagnosis!

It’s only stocked at Jacob’s, it’s the only place on Earth –
An insulin monopoly, goodness knows what it is worth!
But Jacob’s secret recipe, handed down throughout the ages
Keeps the people of Penzance employed on very decent wages!

Now Jacob has some other plans, still on a dairy theme,
For a fudge-based sulphonylurea that involves some clotted cream,
And a Cornish pastie statin to keep cholesterol low,
And a pilchard source of omega-3, caught fresh in Polperro! 😱

Northerner,
I live near Penzance- would you like me to pop in Jacob's Pharmacy and send you some or get pharmacy2U to deliver it to you.
I presume they keep it in a freezer rather than the fridge🙂

 

[Mark Parrott]

I was going to mention this as I also mis-heard it. I thought they gave insulin to the guy having a hypo. Think me & @Derrick Baughan need our ears syringed.

 

[Lilian]

It might not have happened in this case but I have heard this is other dramas / soaps. I guess they are doing it for effect. A hypo is a potentially dangerous situation - so a hypo drama. Again what can carry on the drama - running around looking for some orange juice and giving someone a drink or running around looking for insulin and giving someone an injection. What looks more life saving - an orange juice or a hypodermic needle. I saw a discussion on TV the other day about historical dramas not being true and the people being interviewed (makers of these dramas) said they would prefer to get it wrong for the sake of drama. They said that people watch them for the drama, not for the history, and if they want to know history they should read about it. Dramas like Queen Victoria - much of the history there was wrong, admitted by writers and producers, for the sake of history. So drama comes before accuracy.

 

[robert@fm]

Thanks for Kaylz for spotting MY glaring error. I have now contacted the BBC to explain what an idiot I am and asked them to withdraw the complaint. Not a good start to joining the forum, must try harder.

As parodied by my sig, the really bad attitude is not in making the mistake in the first place, but in failing or refusing to admit to it. 🙄 I have met far too many idiots like that; be thankful that you're not one of them. 🙂

 

[SB2015]

I have the recording ready to watch. I shall be watching with great interest, to see Ian get it right. Well done Kaylz for being so attentive.

 

[Flutterby]

I was intrigued by his added problem of a massively infected wound on his arm. I would probably have needed a ton of insulin if I had a wound like that so the story was a bit weird about the hypo although perhaps he had injected loads of extra. We will never know!! I thought the overall theme of the programme last night was very apt.

 

[Mark Parrott]

I was intrigued by his added problem of a massively infected wound on his arm. I would probably have needed a ton of insulin if I had a wound like that so the story was a bit weird about the hypo although perhaps he had injected loads of extra. We will never know!! I thought the overall theme of the programme last night was very apt.

Yes it was. I was good to see it very on topic with what's going on at the moment.

 

[Sally71]

I thought Casualty was one of the better medical dramas in that they do at least make some effort to be medically correct all the time. Although I know they have occasionally got it wrong, I guess nobody is perfect!