Sky 1 "Touch" got Diabetes wrong last night

[NiVZ]

Hello,

Don't know if any of you are watching the new Kieffer Sutherland series called "Touch" on Sky 1?

I'm really enjoying it, but last nights episode featured an unconcious guy who Kieffer Sutherlands character was told to give INSULIN to and he amazingly woke up!

Now it did look like a Glucagon kit he administered (into the guys forearm, which I also thought was wierd) but they definitely said he needed INSULIN.

Hate it when TV shows get this wrong as it's so dangerous (think Hollyoaks and Emmerdale have both got this worng in the past). Tempted to contact Sky 1 and Fox who make the series.

NiVZ

 

[Northerner]

Don't have Sky, but I agree with you - it only reinforces the misconceptions in the general public's minds that an unconscious diabetic needs insulin, which would most likely kill him. Did they do a blood test first? I suppose the public have never heard of glucagon, so they lazily say insulin

 

[DeusXM]

It's a standard thing. In the general public's mind, this is what diabetes means:

Diabetes means you're fat.
'Diabetics' must NEVER eat sugar, ever.
'Diabetics' all need insulin injections and insulin is a magical thing that makes everything all better immediately.
Because insulin is injected, obviously you either do the injection like it's a vaccination or a smack addict.

Unfortunately, TV shows aren't really that interested in accuracy, they want something that's easily understandable and dramatic. Think it's bad this show did something like this? I know someone who had this happen to them in real life - very bad hypo caused them to start slurring their speech and stumbling. They tried to reach in for their pockets for glucose tablets but they were all fumbly. They managed to say they had diabetes before they sorta lost the ability to talk, and so of course, some superhero reached into their pocket, found their Novorapid pen, promptly dialed it all the way up to 40 and jabbed it in their arm. That person was EXTREMELY lucky as that was nearly a murder.

 

[randomange]

Unfortunately, TV shows aren't really that interested in accuracy, they want something that's easily understandable and dramatic. Think it's bad this show did something like this? I know someone who had this happen to them in real life - very bad hypo caused them to start slurring their speech and stumbling. They tried to reach in for their pockets for glucose tablets but they were all fumbly. They managed to say they had diabetes before they sorta lost the ability to talk, and so of course, some superhero reached into their pocket, found their Novorapid pen, promptly dialed it all the way up to 40 and jabbed it in their arm. That person was EXTREMELY lucky as that was nearly a murder.

Why, why, why would you do this to anyone?? I never understand that - I get that people are trying to help, but I would never consider giving medication if I had no clue of the dosage! 😱 *shudders*

 

[DeusXM]

You get some people who are convinced they're going to be a hero and so they'll charge in convinced they'll save your life.

Worst part is even people who are close to you can make this basic mistake no matter what you tell them. It's part of the reason why I've never let a loved one/relative ever have a go at learning how to administer an insulin injection. I figure that the more terrified they are of the prospect, the less likely it'll be that if I ever ended up in this situation I'd end up with an arm full of Novorapid. Some people seem to think teaching their mum or their kid or their spouse how to do an insulin jab is a wonderful thing. I don't!

 

[Abi]

Why, why, why would you do this to anyone?? I never understand that - I get that people are trying to help, but I would never consider giving medication if I had no clue of the dosage! *shudders*


For the same reason that people feel that it is their business to try to censure your food choices and prevent you from having a dessert or lecture you for half an hour if you have the audacity to indulge in something which they deem inappropriate ( which in all fairness it probably is, if an unhealthy food choice- but no more so than for them and probably less carb laden than that bowl of pasta which they think is perfectly trouble free for you to eat) i.e people like to stick their nose in your business- more so with those with diabetes than any other illness. The amount by which they enjoy interfering is inversely proportional to their actual understanding of the condition and it's management

 

[redrevis]

Unfortunately, TV shows aren't really that interested in accuracy, they want something that's easily understandable and dramatic. Think it's bad this show did something like this? I know someone who had this happen to them in real life - very bad hypo caused them to start slurring their speech and stumbling. They tried to reach in for their pockets for glucose tablets but they were all fumbly. They managed to say they had diabetes before they sorta lost the ability to talk, and so of course, some superhero reached into their pocket, found their Novorapid pen, promptly dialed it all the way up to 40 and jabbed it in their arm. That person was EXTREMELY lucky as that was nearly a murder.

How did that NOT kill that person? I'm guessing the paramedics must have got their extremely fast and the 'superhero' told them exactly what he had done, so they could funnel a 2l bottle of lucozade down them to combat the massive dose of insulin. Seriously though, I'm intrigued what happened after this 40u of insulin was given.

 

[trophywench]

Immediate Glucagon plus get a neat glucose drip going pdq and hope against hope for no brain damage?

God knows.

Well my husband knows how to give an insulin jab because his younger daughters best friend was diabetic and she spent more time at their house than she did at hers. This was before they were school age and still friends now. He still jokes with her and me about having jabbed both of us in our bums - because he's had to give me Glucagon too, at least once if not twice in the last 14 years. Don't think he's ever done my insulin though.

He knows what my BG should be. I don't mean like to a decimal point, but he knows 5-7 is a good and safe place to be. And 3.9 downwards or over 7.5 except just after a meal isn't. He knows my carb ratio and correction rate, and that all my basal rates and everything I did is in my pump diary.

I never asked him to learn, he just did it. He's logical and would err on the side of caution if in doubt. He never tries to do it or 'take over' except when I need him to - ie Glucagon. He's gone into the kitchen, got it out of the fridge and got down on the floor by the side of me to do the latter.

No big deal? No not really - except there were just the 2 of us in the house and he'd had an accident the day before where he broke his collarbone, his fibia and 5 ribs, with a pneumothorax and the (not our!) hospital sent him home with a temp plaster on his leg and his arm in a sling .......

I'm jolly pleased he knows what he's doing and that he did it!

 

[veganlass]

Ive just watched it. bad example for folks .

 

[sdgray22]

tv BODY OF PROOF

I watched this last week I think the Medical Examiner said outright you have type 1 thats not the same as type 2 fat people get that or something of that ilk I cant remember exactly but I did feel pretty insulted I am not fat but I am not anorexic either. I am a size 14 one size below the national average and have type 2. By the way looking at the actress who plays her I would say she is about a size zero and about 5" tall without her 6" heels. One of those tiny tiny actresses because of that it was more insulting. You cannot expect TV shows to know what they are talking about I am afraid, it would be like believing the newspapers!!!

 

[NiVZ]

I think a lot of people unfortunately assume that our Pen style needles are the diabetic equivalent of an eppy (epinephrin) pen for those with extreme allergic reactions

Only person I trust enough to inject me with either insulin or glucagon is my wife 😉

NiVZ