GlucaGen hypo kit

[homer190376]

Hi All,

just need to know some general experience from other on the subject of the GlucaGen kit. I have type 1 with unfortunately many additional conditions, I have had a GlucaGen kit in my draw at work for many years now, I've had 30 Hypo's in the last 90 days, luckily these have not been at work, however today HR have informed me that they have instructed all firstaiders not to administer this should i need it? I'm quite a bit in shock and do not know how to approach this subject with them, has anyone got any advice or have experienced the same problem?

thank you for reading.

 

[Lobsang Tsultim]

I'm not sure if you're in the UK, but if you are, then that instruction seems to contradict advice from the Health and Safety Executive:

Are first-aiders allowed to give tablets and medication to casualties?

First aid at work does not include giving tablets or medicines to treat illness. The only exception to this is where aspirin is used when giving first aid to a casualty with a suspected heart attack, in accordance with currently accepted first-aid practice. It is recommended that tablets and medicines should not be kept in the first-aid box.

Some workers carry their own medication that has been prescribed by their doctor (eg an inhaler for asthma). If an individual needs to take their own prescribed medication, the first-aider's role is generally limited to helping them to do so and contacting the emergency services as appropriate.

However, this does not apply to the administration of prescription only medication specified in Schedule 19 of the Medicines Regulations 2012, where this is for the purpose of saving life in an emergency. Adrenaline 1:1000 up to 1 mg for intramuscular use in anaphylaxis is an example.

Where a first aid needs assessment identifies that Schedule 19 medication may be required to be administered in an emergency, the employer should consider providing workplace first aiders with additional training in their use.

As you see, generally, the instruction is in line with HSE's advice but not for certain medicines on Schedule 19 in an emergency.

SCHEDULE 19
Medicinal products for parenteral administration in an emergency

Adrenaline 1:1000 up to 1mg for intramuscular use in anaphylaxis
Atropine sulphate and obidoxime chloride injection
Atropine sulphate and pralidoxime chloride injection
Atropine sulphate injection
Atropine sulphate, pralidoxime mesilate and avizafone injection
Chlorphenamine injection
Dicobalt edetate injection
Glucagon injection
Glucose injection
Hydrocortisone injection
Naloxone hydrochloride
Pralidoxime chloride injection
Pralidoxime mesilate injection
Promethazine hydrochloride injection
Snake venom antiserum
Sodium nitrite injection
Sodium thiosulphate injection
Sterile pralidoxime

Do you have union representation at your workplace? If you do, I would suggest contacting them.

Information from:

Frequently asked questions on first aid - First aid at work

Frequently Asked Questions in relation to first aid at work

www.hse.gov.uk

The Human Medicines Regulations 2012

These Regulations consolidate the law of the United Kingdom concerning medicinal products for human use (“products”) in respect of the topics described below.

www.legislation.gov.uk

 

[homer190376]

I'm not sure if you're in the UK, but if you are, then that instruction seems to contradict advice from the Health and Safety Executive:

As you see, generally, the instruction is in line with HSE's advice but not for certain medicines on Schedule 19 in an emergency.


Do you have union representation at your workplace? If you do, I would suggest contacting them.

Information from:

Frequently asked questions on first aid - First aid at work

Frequently Asked Questions in relation to first aid at work

www.hse.gov.uk

The Human Medicines Regulations 2012

These Regulations consolidate the law of the United Kingdom concerning medicinal products for human use (“products”) in respect of the topics described below.

www.legislation.gov.uk

Yes in the UK, thank you very much for this most informative response, very appreciated, just need to tackle now with my employers. unfortunately no union.

 

[Fairygodmother]

Hi @homer190376, do you have any devices that will give you warnings when your blood sugars start to descend? That way an early heads up, plus a lot of sugary drinks and jelly babies in your drawer might go some way towards making life easier for you.
I know the libre2 has alerts but not having used it myself, I’m not sure how useful they are, or whether the libre2 can be calibrated.
I‘ve stuck with Libre 1, plus a miaomiao and a watlaa watch that I can calibrate, and on which I can set the levels at which alerts should sound and vibrate.
I think @Jaylee and @Antje77 both use Libre2 with good fixes to get alerts that they can control. I’ve tagged them to see if they have any insights they can pass on to you.
Frequent hypos are the pits, so I hope a solution can be found asap!

 

[Jaylee]

I think @Jaylee and @Antje77 both use Libre2 with good fixes to get alerts that they can control. I’ve tagged them to see if they have any insights they can pass on to you.
Frequent hypos are the pits, so I hope a solution can be found asap!

Looking at the topic. My experience with company “first aiders” is they supply a band aid & that’s it…

I’ve told first aiders where I work with regards to my T1. “Should the roof cave in & I’m trapped? Tell any emergency responders I have T1.” (That’s it.)
I’ve never needed (so far.) a glucegen. Kit.
You could sign a disclaimer to any would be administrator suggesting they are doing in your best interests whilst pro help arrives?
If established hypo & disabilitated?
The responder would also need access to the kit.. and feel comfortably trained? A tricky one….

 

[Lobsang Tsultim]

Looking at the topic. My experience with company “first aiders” is they supply a band aid & that’s it…

I’ve told first aiders where I work with regards to my T1. “Should the roof cave in & I’m trapped? Tell any emergency responders I have T1.” (That’s it.)
I’ve never needed (so far.) a glucegen. Kit.
You could sign a disclaimer to any would be administrator suggesting they are doing in your best interests whilst pro help arrives?
If established hypo & disabilitated?
The responder would also need access to the kit.. and feel comfortably trained? A tricky one….

True. Looking at the HSE advice, it would seem that based on an assessment of the needs of that workplace, the company would be negligent if Homer had a hypo, became unconscious, which caused either he or someone else to get injured, and they had failed to provide sufficient training for first aiders to identify and treat hypos including the use of the hypo kit in an emergency. It sounds like HR is trying to get out of their legal duty to provide adequate first aid provision. Type 1 diabetes is often treated as a disability for the purposes of the Disability Act and the Equality Act, so they may be failing to make reasonable adjustments required by those as well.

 

[Ushthetaff]

Generally the GlucaGen kit is administered when you’re not able to not able to administer anything yourself. As previously mentioned curing a hypo before it gets to the Glucagen kit stage is probably the main is the main issue , keeping sweets sweet drinks ( mini cans of cola) work really quickly at hand will definitely help, also informing work colleagues of symptoms of hypos etc , I use the Libre 2 system alarms with my phone and i have set the low alarms at 4 , this gives me more than enough warning that my bs is dropping prior to me actually going into hypo, as I find the libre reads constantly lower than my actual bs ,
i know rules on medication administration has changed over the years ! I remember getting tetanus shots in work from the first aid department back in the early 80”s but the time the early 90’s came u couldn’t get a paracetamol ,

 

[Jaylee]

True. Looking at the HSE advice, it would seem that based on an assessment of the needs of that workplace, the company would be negligent if Homer had a hypo, became unconscious, which caused either he or someone else to get injured, and they had failed to provide sufficient training for first aiders to identify and treat hypos including the use of the hypo kit in an emergency. It sounds like HR is trying to get out of their legal duty to provide adequate first aid provision. Type 1 diabetes is often treated as a disability for the purposes of the Disability Act and the Equality Act, so they may be failing to make reasonable adjustments required by those as well.

Pretty much put ‘em in the recovery position & call an ambulance.?

I had an accident at work a few years back. To be fair it was my own doing. Gashed my wrist & asked for a bandaid.
The “first aider” jumped all over me proclaiming “let me do that.” He must have felt he was the “keeper of the first aid box.”
Patched up, I carried on. Then a few minutes later I was approached by the boss & the first aider & told to get it looked at by a HCP. And sent off.
However, this was a dodgy cut with an angle grinder. Not hypoglycaemia.

Oddly, this same firstaider berated me for not mentioning when I was low? My response was, "I've already sorted it. Why waste time looking for you."

With regards to work & hypos? I sort of take the approach I did whilst at school.
Deal with them myself on the quiet..

 

[Lobsang Tsultim]

It's not straightforward to be sure. It's why I suggested contacting a union if one was available - it's the sort of issue that is their raison d'etre.