Hypos and medical treatment

[Sweet3x]

I spent 9 hours yesterday in hospital I had a hypo at work, and went unconsious. In France, the pompiers (fireman) come out first (because they know how to resusitate people) - they rarely understand about diabetes. My boyf, who works for the same company, was explaining that I needed glucose - the pompiers proceeded to mix some sugar into some water (which wouldn't disolve, obviously, since it wasn't warm) and tried to pour it down my throat. Great idea in principle but when the person is unconcious and not swallowing, it ends up going into their lungs. As a consequence, I ended up with sugar all over me, and nearly drowned.

They also stripped me of my clothes (in the middle of the company canteen) and wrapped me in one of those tin foil body things, to keep me warm.

Was taken to the hospital by an ambulance crew (who were great, I have to say), told I would be monitored until 8pm and then let go home - they said they were concerned about my lungs.

They then allowed my blood sugar level to rise to over 20 and didn't do anything about it.

Was kept in until 9pm (thus missing the last bus home), with noone doing any monitoring. It was only when I asked if I could go home (and was told 'we are keeping you in overnight') and kicked up a little tamtrum that they let me out.

Anyone else had a similar experience? Or does this type of thing only happen in France?

(oh, and yes, I had a glucogon kit in the fridge at work, but it has vanished somehow, and noone is admitting responsibility

 

[suzi]

Sweet3x,
I do hope your feeling better, what a horrible experience. Only encounter i've had where i had cause for concern was when my 10yr old T1 had a bad hypo at school and in the confussion had used all his test strips. The teachers couldn't cope and couldn't get him to swallow any lucozade(nobody felt capable of using the hypokit kept at school) and they called an ambulance stating he was a diabetic. They turned up without a bs testing kit, even though they had been told the situation. Eventually by the time the second ambulance had arrived with bs testing kit along with myself they manage to pour lucozade down his throat and his bs was 11. I signed a form stating i didn't want to him to go to hospital and took him home, where he ate and had a 2hr sleep.
I do think all emergancy services should be trained in the knowledge of diabetes. My husband was on duty (he's a policeman) when what appeared to be a drunk bought in to the station, but my husband didn't smell any drink on him, his collegue said perhaps he's a druggie, my hubby said perhaps he's diabetic. Hubby was right and bought him a bottle of lucozade and a sandwich, then popped him round to the hospital to be checked over.
Hope your fully recovered,
take care,
Suzi x

 

[Sweet3x]

I'm fine now got the day off work, which was a bonus. Currently coughing up lots of green stuff which is fun
Well done to your hubby And I hope that your son doesn't have any more similar episodes - bad enough being an adult, must be horribly scary for a child

 

[LittleSue]

I had a bad hypo at home, in about 1978. Had had an active day, with extra food to compensate. At dinner time I kept dropping things and the TV screen appeared (only to me) to be blank on one side with normal picture on the other. I spoke proper sentences, but what came out wasn't what I wanted to say. Parents rang the hospital for advice, who said instead of A&E come to the ward where we can see you immediately. Which might've been good advice, if there were diabetic-savvy staff there, but this time there weren't.

Firstly they left me with a young nurse to fill in the paperwork. Nurse got irritated, but not concerned, when I couldn't remember my address, phone number, or simple words like 'spoon' to describe what had happened. (I was about 14 and had always lived at the same address.)
Once the form was done, I was tucked up in bed. Felt sick, tried to warn them but couldn't remember the words. Only after I vomited everywhere did they think to check my bs, which they said was so low I should've been unconscious.

Would've hoped things had improved, but more recently a T2 colleague felt unwell and dizzy. I accompanied her over to A&E, on arrival we told the triage staff she was diabetic (and a member of staff) and they said she'd have some priority. They didn't test her bs until about an hour later. BS was about 12, which told them nothing as it could've been due to high bs, or hypo followed by liver dump.

 

[mikethebike]

This just goes to show that when you have some years of diabetes under your belt (and read up a bit about its effects) you probably know more than the majority of the medical profession about the condition for YOU than they ever will !

Some years ago i was admitted to a fracture clinic and was apalled by how I was automatically put on a very low carb diet with no advice given as to what insulin dosage adjustments to make.

I dont suppose its any different now. Possibly worse. :evil:

 

[hanadr]

This just goes to show that diabetics need to train their own back up. I have got T1 husband out of trouble Dozens of times in the 35 years. It's more difficult in a work situation, but I had his friends trained to call me wherever Iwas and I'd deal with the situation. I did once get called out of a classroom I was teaching in because T1 had"fallen into a pan of baked beans" in the works canteen. I told his friends what to do in the time it would take me to get there. ( with a change of clothes too. )
It's shocking, but paramedics know how to and have equipment to set up a glucose drip and use a defibrillator, but not how to do a "finger stick BG". perhaps it's because they would have to act on results, which isn't the case with most of what they do.
We nag at DUK, but surely they could put pressure on the system for soritng out a protocol :evil: