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lack of hospital care

C

cheeky monkey

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Has anyone had a bad time with there diabetes care in hospital? Ive been in hospital twice in the last year, on my first stay the nurses didnt seem too know how to treat someone with diabetes, one incident worried me I was given my insulin then when my dinner came round I was told I was nil by mouth so I had a hypo I told the nurse I was feeling unwell she had too ask the sister three times if she could check my bloods, then the sister asked me if I was ok before they would get me a orange juice.
Recently I had a major op which went wrong and was very serious, when I came off the ICU ward I was taken to a normal ward, yet again they messed up my insulin they told me I didnt have to take insulin with every meal, I was on high dosages of insulin and they dropped it down to 10 units. I had a arguement with them everyday over my diabetes care even my carer tried to tell them. The scary part was they even gave they lady in the next bed my diabetic meds, even though she was NOT diabetic this happened for a week she kept telling them but they said because it was written down on there list they had too treat her as a diabetic.
Now I have to work hard at getting my blood sugars back to normal, surely nurses are trained in looking after diabetics?
Im now really worried about going into hosptial if I have too in the future.
susie
 
I can quite understand your concerns, to say that is shocking is an understatement! :shock:
 
It's a worry for all diabetics going into hospital especially if they are knowledgable and have good control !

You have to try and keep as much control as you can over your diabetic regime, you probably know a lot more than some of the nurses about diabetes and certainly more than they do about your own diabetes.

Nurses do get training in diabetes but it is only a basic course unless they specialise. However giving another patient your drugs for a week is a serious error on their part ! :shock:
As soon as you mentioned this it should have been flagged up to the doctors to recheck the drug kardexs for accuracy.
 
I know what you mean.
When I was in ******** ( name removed to protect the guilty) with a bleed stroke & diabetes, on a sunday, all we could have was SANDWICHES - resolved by wife bringing in "red-cross parcel" of salad, and regular sweet was Bakewell Tart (Mr Krapling variety :cry: ) - healthy eating for a diabetic? :lol:
 
Unfortunately this seems to be happening a lot when diabetics have to stay in hospital. I have stayed in hospital a few times in the last 5 years and have not yet come across a nurse who knows how to deal with a hypo. One nurse had to wake me one morning for breakfast, which I don't remember, and then had to come back as I didn't respond. Two hours later I came round, after being unconscious because of a night hypo, and found myself in a pool of blood because I'd pulled an iv line out while hypo, as well as the bed wet with sweat etc. Nurses were completely oblivious to it all. Lucky for them I woke up really.

It is frightening but I always monitor myself really closely in hospital.
 
Giving your meds to someone else is absolutely disgraceful. I hope you filed a formal complaint to the managers so that they understand they need to investigate it before they kill someone.

I've always found hospitals to be utterly clueless about diabetes. I got hospitalised once for dka in a hospital with a very good diabetes dept. Sadly I was not in the diabetes dept. At one point I had a huge hypo and the nurses were hopeless. It took them 20 minutes to come up with a hit chocolate, which is a ****** hypo treatment really. If it had happened during visiting hours, I would have sent my bf down to the shop downstairs to buy lucozade, which would have taken 5 minutes.

Last month I had an op on my shoulder. Luckily I was only in for a day. I was told I would be on an insulin/ glucose drip like I was when I had the other shoulder done. Then they decided not to give me the drip. I was already unconscious so I didn't get an explanation! Anyway, when I woke up my blood sugar was 17 and I felt grim. They then injected me with tramadol without warning me, and tramadol makes me puke. So that helped. I wanted to do some insulin but the nurse said the doctor wanted to come up and give me some actrapid. I said that I take humalog, which is faster than actrapid and that I wanted it straight away rather than waiting fir the doctor. She said the doc would have to prescribe it. I told her I already have a prescription and my insulin was in my bag. She went away to find out. By this time I'd gone up to 20 so I just did the insulin anyway.

Then they brought lunch (jacket potato with nothing on it!) fir everyone except me. Good job I'd brought food with me.

They kept saying I couldn't leave until I got my bg down. I couldn't really see the point of staying in hospital for something I can manage at home. They occasionally came to test my bg as they didn't trust my meter. Well, their meter was an optium xceed, same as mine, only theirs looked knackered and had the battery held in with Sellotape. Nice. Eventually their battery ran out and they had to believe my results as they didn't have a spare battery.

It took til about 5pm to get my bg down to 13, which I am convinced is because I didn't get put on a drip. It was all much easier when I had the other shoulder done. They were reluctant to let me go at that level but I had to get away from the constant daytime tv before it set me off on a killing spree. What did I ever do to deserve Loose Women?! I eventually persuaded someone to take my cannula out, refused the painkillers on the basis that I have a house full of them and didn't want to wait another hour, and legged it out of there.

So yeah, diabetes care in hospital is frankly scary. Never let them separate you from your kit & meds, bring your own food, and always, always bring your hypo treatments!
Never be afraid to hassle them or make a scene if they're doing something stupid. And if they give your meds to someone else, threaten to sue. While I hate this culture of suing for every little thing, there are times when threatening legal action is the only way to make people pay attention. Sad but true.
Take care out there :-)
 
Hi thankyou for your replies it is scary hearing that others have had the same problem, at first I wasnt allowed to take my own meds and meter in, my carer had a right go at them she then brought my insulin in. but when I was brought my insulin pen by the nurse she had some other persons with different insulin in. again I had too argue that it was not mine, I thought they are going to kill me off soon. In the end I kept my insulin in my locker.
Its been a couple of months since I came out of hospital I cant remember alot of things in ICU. so can you still put in a complaint after 2 months?
take care
susie
 
I think they're supposed to let you manage your own diabetes if you can. Obviously if you're unconscious it's different, but they are definitely not supposed to take your meds away. I would still put in the complaint. They could have killed you and the other patient. Without wanting to be alarmist, they need this ****** practice pointing out to them so they can sort themselves out before they actually do kill someone! They'll never learn if we don't teach them :-)
you could try contacting the PALS section at the hospital. They're usually run by normal people and can be very helpful. Hope it goes ok!
 
The results of a survey on the care of in patients with diabetes in a Birmingham hospital is to be presented at the ADA conference at the end of the month.
my comments in blue

One in two had at least one episode of hyperglycaemia(probably understandable as people were sick and this often raises levels, though it means 50% had at least one reading of over 14mmol during their stay))
1 in 3 had at least on episode of hypoglycaemia
considering only 31% on insulin and 51% on oral meds( though some might be on sulfs) this seems high
One in six had a prescription error most common event was issuing medication at the wrong time, I wonder how many of these involved food without insulin or insulin without food with resultant hypers and hypos?
1 in 4 had a diabetes management error most common event was not increasing meds for hyperglycemia
One in four was visited by a member of the Diabetes Specialist Team; 20.6 % of the inpatients in the hospital had diabetes. They were on average older than the general hospital population (71 compared with 64) and stayed in hospital for 19 days (9 for non diabetics)
( With these numbers the specialist team may have been stretched quite thin, however a fifth of patients have diabetes. This surely should mean that education in diabetic care for all ward medical and nursing staff is extremely important. I wonder how many of the extra days in hospital were caused by poor diabetes management.....though of course many may have been in hospital because of poor diabetes management/ complications in the first place )
http://ww2.aievolution.com/ada1001/index.cfm?do=abs.viewAbs&abs=14922
Now they've done the study, I wonder what measures will be put in place to remedy the error, and will other UK hospitals take note?
edited (slight correction)
 
I always have problems in hospital, they take my insulin from me. I have had a hypo in hospital and the nurses didnt know what to do lucky the girl next to me was diabetic and had lucozade.
My last visit in June I had a nurse arguing and shouting at me because I wanted my insulin. I had a snack so I asked for my insulin which I took and as the nurse walked out she said tea is on its way round. 10 minutes later my tea arrived so I asked for more insulin to which she refused (I have a recording of the argument if anyone wishes to hear it) she said I had my insulin and I said I need more for my tea she said I should have took ore before. my sugars were 14 and she wanted to eat my tea without insulin to which i refused. she asked me why I was testing my bloods every 5 minutes which I wasn't. I had just had surgery and was feeling hot and since I had the flesh eatting bug which nearly killed me I was scared to get an infection so I was testing slightly more with my own meter.
She said I must take my insulin 10 minutes before my tea, I told her I dont take my insulin untill my tea is in front of me, she said that does not work here. she shouted at me the whole time and slamed the door as she went in and out of my room. She rekons when I go out when Im at home that I leave my insulin at home in the fridge DOH. She then tried to tell me my meter was wrong and I should eat my tea and then test again to see if I need insulin. I asked for a doctor and told they were busy but after persistance one came what use he was, he tried telling me the nurse was a specialist yer right.
I still wasnt allowed any insulin till bed time.
I was supposed to be in for 2 weeks, it wasnt even a week and funny enough I was discharged the next day.
I felt I couldnt complain as I have to go back in soon for more surgery, which I am dreading.
I am gonna take spare insulin in this time :wink: as its my life they are messing with!!!
 
The problem with complaining is your treatment gets worse not better. Thats why I havent complained about the argument I recorded because I have to go back into hospital soon on the same ward with the same nurses and the treatment is bad enough already :evil:
 
My mum , who died three years ago, was insulin dependant, though i'm unsure if T1? or T2? As when she was diagnosed it wasn't explained. She was just put straight onto insulin.

But she controlled herself well for nearly 40 years, but I was always amazed that when she was in hosptital she was treated like a child.

She was actually allowed to inject herself, but the nurse brought the pen and set the amount of insulin that they though she should have and then stood over her to watch her take it.
 
There's a Nationwide[UK} initiative called "Think Glucose". Any diabetic admitted to hospital should be able to get help from whoever is co-ordinating the project there. In any case, if they won't let you manage your own diabetes, You can ask to see the DSN or a consultant fom the diabetes clinic. General nurses know LESS THAT NOTHING about diabetes usually. You have to be assertive with them and not hand over your medication.
Hana
 
Recent experiences in (Hospital name removed) was:

all kit removed on admission;
nurse did finger prick at set time intervals;
nurse phoned pharmacist who determined the appropriate dose of insulin based on finger prick result;
dose set on pen (patient allowed to administer under supervision).

In effect insulin was administered after the horse as it were had bolted and nothing was based on amounts of carbs consumed.

It took a couple of weeks to get stabilised after discharge!
 
I have just come out of ICU in hospital and have had a terrible time, my Insulin was changed by a Doctor who knew nothing about my Diabetic history. I have had too many admissions to hospital to count over the last 2 years and dread going in as i know it always takes ages and ages for me and my Diabetic nurse to get me on track. I think nurses generally do a good job but any more demands than the norm and all goes wrong. :?
 
I've been in Hospital many times over my 28 years and seen so many failing in the NHS so to solved just one problem (my Diabetes) when I'm in hospital, I now refuse any doctor to look after my diabetes, that look at my blood sugar or give me insulin. I can control my sugars as best I can but the nurses/doctors make them worse

So in future if you are happy to do your own diabetic needs, I wouldn't give them any of your diabetic meds.
 
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