20 replies to this topic

[Arctickat]

Picked up a patient in a delerium yesterday, a known diabetic under 40 years old. Insulin dependent and not very compliant. He's already lost half of one leg. He was last seen 24 hours previously. Kussmal resps and as mentioned, in a delerious, near coma state. His BGL was 59.2 mmol/L, that's 1067 mg/dl.

That's the highest I have ever seen in my career. What about you guys?

[paramedicmike]

Highest I've seen personally was in the 600s. Highest I've seen in a chart was 1000+.

I did have a patient whose A1C was 15.1 just a couple weeks ago.

[Resqmedic]

I think my RBS was up around 1000 after the nice old ladies from the church brought by a car load of sweets.

[Secouriste]

The highest glucose rate I saw was around 580. It was a lady about 50, we found sitting in the street. She was unable to communicate, but seemed to understand a few things we said. Also, once she was in the ambulance, she would outstretch her arms with her hands like crab-pincers. She didn't say a word nor respond to any "order".

All the other vitals were good.

[paramedicmike]

I know the topic here is the highest, but Secouriste's post reminded me of a guy I treated once with a BGL that came up as 10mg/dL on the glucometer. He was sitting up and talking to us coherently. Although, he was not sitting up talking to us for long. We woke him up quickly enough.

Of all the things we can do in EMS as far as treating patients goes, waking up a diabetic is one of the most amazing things. It is still amazing to watch even after all these years.

[BAYAMedic]

1274 mg/dl on a CCT from a rural hospital

[nypamedic43]

Our glucometers only read to 600, after that they read "HI". In medic school, doing ER time, a 17 yr old came in with his mom. She stated that he had lost about 30 pounds in 2 weeks, drank alot of water but was still thirsty. The young man looked like a skeleton with skin stretched over it and dark circles around his eyes. Blood test revealed a blood glucose of 2250 mg/dcl. He spent a few days in the ICU and got a brand new insulin pump.

[ERDoc]

High was somewhere in the 1200s, low was 14 and still fully conscious, confirmed through multiple finger sticks and 3 lab draws from different sites (yeah, you could say we didn't believe it the first time).

[chbare]

Around 1,000 mg/dl on a couple of people with pancreatitis and HHNKC.

[croaker260]

1546.... He also stroked too.. which probably counted for his inability to manage his already brittle diabetes, and was septic as well. Ended up RSI/MAI'ing him, but wisely stayed away from the succs due to multiple suspicions...his K was 6.8 on arrival at the hospital.