Hospitalised diabetes patients in danger from medication mistakes

An audit of how the NHS treats diabetes patients in hospital has claimed that medication mistakes are putting many people in danger.
The audit of almost 13,000 patients at 230 hospitals, by the NHS’s Health and Social Care Information Centre and the charity Diabetes UK, found that a third of hospital patients suffering from diabetes were being affected by problems that could result in dangerously high or low blood sugar levels.
It was also shown that hospitals in England and Wales made at least one mistake when treating 3,700 diabetics over the course of only one week. Those who experienced medication errors also faced over double the number of severe hypos than patients without errors. Also, 68 patients came down with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a condition where blood sugar levels remain high, while in hospital, probably due to them not being properly treated with insulin for a significant period.
Barbara Young, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said “The fact that there are so many mistakes, and that for some people a stay in hospital means they get worse, should simply not be happening.”
She added “Poor blood glucose management, caused by errors in hospital treatment, is leading to severe and dangerous consequences for too many people.”