14 replies to this topic

[musicislife]

You see a boy who was happily playing basketball, when suddnely he goes to the wall, looks weak. He is your little cousin You go over to him and find that he has a weak pulse, and he is shaking and dizzy. He forgot about his blood glucometer..but he did bring along a tube of oral glucose and glucacon kit. You say, "let me give you some glucose"...he yells at you and says "go away! I dont need you!"....He passes out shortly after, and you cannot arouse him. 911 is called as soon as he passes out.

Treatment...check ABCs, lay the PT on his side and administer glucagon in the thigh 1mg (1cc).

You take a set of vitals: BP is 98/72 HR: 112 bpm and his breathing is fairly unremarkable at a rate of 17 per minute.

Response to this treatment: He wakes up right around when the Paramedic truck/ BLS Ambulance arrives.

You are cleared to go by the responding crews, and no more info is obtainable.

Reasoning: The glucose was originally indicated because of the known history, shaking, weak pulse, and dizziness..however the patient went unresponsive before it could be administered.

The glucagon was then indicated because he became unresponsive. Considering it was not syncope (as he did not wake up shortly after on his own) I feel that glucagon was indicated

My aunt taught me about the administration of glucagon, because her child is a diabetic, and she wanted more people to know what to do in case she wasnt around to help her child. (it is not contained in my First Responder course, only Oral Glucose is) Would this be acceptable to ambulance crews?

I hope this is enough information for ya'll.

Edited by musicislife, 30 May 2012 - 08:45 PM.

[Captain ToHellWithItAll]

I'm ok with this one. I would want my uncle or aunt to do the same for me since I'm a diabetic.

Glucagon rescue kit is pretty idiot proof. You seem to have done the right thing. 911 was called. you gave the shot. You didn't give the glucose. You had permission from the aunt to give the shot.

All's good. Other medics might not have been too happy but really it's not that big a deal.

My diabetic doctor, He's a leader in KC MO in the diabetic medical field gave me a stack of glucagon admin instructions and told me to hand them out to whoever might have to give me a shot. He told me this. "Michael, glucagon can save your life if you need it. It won't kill you. It's not going to cause you to die of an overdose of sugar glucose entering your system. We can fix that. What we cannot have is you going too long without sugar in your system so if you go unconscious then by all means somone better give you the damn shot"

So I don't have an issue with you giving the shot.

[musicislife]

would OG been acceptable after he woke up, or maybe a peanut butter sandwich or something like that if avaliable (if the medics hadnt arrived before he woke up)?

[Vorenus]

OG= Oral Glucose ?

If pat. is fully awake and protective reflexes are intact, then yes.

[DFIB]

You take a set of vitals: BP is 98/72 HR: 112 bpm and his breathing is fairly unremarkable at a rate of 17 per minute.

You carry a BP cuff to the basketball court?

Glucagon should be taught along with oral glucose administration. It is most likely not a part of your first responder course because of the route.

Does your book/material teach about any injections?

Solid work. Good job,

[musicislife]

thanks guys

If I were to find a patient like this already passed out, and I checked the ankles, wrists. and neck for a medical alert and find one for diabetes, would the glucagon treatment still be indicated?

Edited by musicislife, 30 May 2012 - 10:26 PM.

[Kiwiology]

I cannot for the life of me understand the logic in allowing somebody to administer oral glucose or glucagon but not be able to take a blood sugar

Administering glucagon will not do any harm to the patient that is for sure

[musicislife]

I cannot for the life of me understand the logic in allowing somebody to administer oral glucose or glucagon but not be able to take a blood sugar

well that makes too much sense, so why would they do it? Yea I agree it makes my job a lot harder...

[Captain ToHellWithItAll]

Well KIWI, that's what makes you guys bonkers about our education system right?

But music you probably would not find a glucagon kit on a unconscious person unless they were a well prepared diabetic. I mean if I was found outside unconscious, you would more than likely not find a glucagon kit on me unless you found me with my computer bag which is where I carry my glucagon kit since I am usually pulling my computer bag behind me when I'm out and about, because I'm usually working.

If I'm without my bag, my wife is usually with me.

So a unconscious patient is probably not going to be carrying a glucagon kit on them unless they have a carrying kit or manpurse(if they are a man) or a purse if they are a woman.

[c9b5]

thanks guys

If I were to find a patient like this already passed out, and I checked the ankles, wrists. and neck for a medical alert and find one for diabetes, would the glucagon treatment still be indicated?

With your training as a First Responder (or even as an EMT) glucagon is not within your scope of practice. So, for a random patient who happens to have glucagon with them, I wouldn't administer even though it would probably help. I would wait for medics rather than put my certification on the line and risk a lawsuit.