Hi I will check with a healthcare pro but just a quick query. A child I am involved with but not responsible for had a hypo just before lunch. I think their bloods were around 4.3. They are on a pump and I was told that they would be given their snack to raise their bloods to above I think 5 before they were allowed to go and get their lunch. I thought they should have had their lunch regardless and then only put the carbs into the pump once their bloods were up, am I wrong all new to me.
Hypo for child using pump
- Thread starter Lesley c c
- Start Date
- Messages
- 18,232
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
- Treatment type
- Insulin
Hi,
I don't pump. But have my own experince dealing with a sub 5 prior to a meal on MDI.
I'll tag in some pumpers who may have better ideas with the tech involved.. @Juicyj @LooperCat
How old is the child?
- Messages
- 9,034
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
- Treatment type
- Pump
- Dislikes
- Hypos, rude people, ignorance and grey days.
Hi Lesley,
A hypo is when we go less than 3.9 mmol/l so technically 4.3 wasn’t a hypo, if it had been the case then glucose to raise levels above 4 mmol/l then food, otherwise the insulin taken would of covered the food (if calculated correctly) then a hypo later on.
Lunch at 4.3 is fine though just keep a close eye on levels 2-3 hours later.
Are they using a continuous glucose monitor with their pump ?
A hypo is when we go less than 3.9 mmol/l so technically 4.3 wasn’t a hypo, if it had been the case then glucose to raise levels above 4 mmol/l then food, otherwise the insulin taken would of covered the food (if calculated correctly) then a hypo later on.
Lunch at 4.3 is fine though just keep a close eye on levels 2-3 hours later.
Are they using a continuous glucose monitor with their pump ?
Hi , I think they were below 3.9 when they initially had the hypo and the levels had risen. What I couldn't understand was why they were waiting (I may have got the numbers wrong and it could have been until they were above 4) before the child ate lunch. I can understand not putting the carbs into the pump until the numbers were over the threshold and I can understand them having an initial immediate biscuit or jelly babies what ever they use to counter the hypo but why do we then wait until the numbers are up before allowing them to eat lunch?
- Messages
- 9,034
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
- Treatment type
- Pump
- Dislikes
- Hypos, rude people, ignorance and grey days.
Hi Lesley, the way to treat a hypo is fast acting glucose till above 4 then snack but if lunch was coming then just eat lunch instead of snack otherwise your running the risk of an impending high blood sugar. As we are talking about a child then there should be a care plan for them as agreed with their diabetic nurse which would confirm action required - do they have one ?
- Messages
- 9,317
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
- Treatment type
- Insulin
- Dislikes
- forum bugs
Just a guess, but maybe they want to make sure the child isn't going to pass out in the lunch queue???
Jollymon
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 431
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
- Treatment type
- Pump
- Dislikes
- Not having good chocolate, and not cycling
Maybe the child wasn’t comfortable And was out of their wits for the low. So maybe they wanted to get the blood sugar up before putting them back into the schools general population. The 4.3 isn’t that bad of a number, but maybe it was a false low and the child wasn’t used to a number like that.
It’s all hard to determine from this “hearsay” event.
It’s all hard to determine from this “hearsay” event.
- Messages
- 19,472
- Type of diabetes
- LADA
- Treatment type
- Insulin
Rule of thumb is to first treat with fast acting hypo treatment and check again before putting in other food. Fats and proteins slow down the absorbtion of glucose, possibly prolonging the hypo.
Sometimes we can drop so much that the first dose of hypo treatment doesn't do the trick and we need more. If we would be eating other stuff in between that could potentially slow down the effect of the hypo treatment.
Moving around or doing anything uses up energy, slowing down the hypo treatment, so not going anywhere to get food makes sense too. Especially if they only had to wait until they were above 4 and not 5.
In real life, with adults who are responsible for their own actions, things aren't this black and white, and we often have our own solutions which aren't necessary what the guidelines say.
When making decisions for someone elses child, I think they acted perfectly sensible.
Sometimes we can drop so much that the first dose of hypo treatment doesn't do the trick and we need more. If we would be eating other stuff in between that could potentially slow down the effect of the hypo treatment.
Moving around or doing anything uses up energy, slowing down the hypo treatment, so not going anywhere to get food makes sense too. Especially if they only had to wait until they were above 4 and not 5.
In real life, with adults who are responsible for their own actions, things aren't this black and white, and we often have our own solutions which aren't necessary what the guidelines say.
When making decisions for someone elses child, I think they acted perfectly sensible.
