Monday, October 20, 2008

Diabetic Problems

After a long night we were awakened by the tones just before 0700. We were toned out of a person down with diabetic problems. This is usually a fairly easy call to run. All you have to do is a quick assessment and check their blood sugar level. If it's low, start a line and give them some sugar.

We arrive on scene and the patient is laying on his bed. He does try to open his eyes when I call his name. His roommate lets me know that he does have a history of diabetes and that he hasn't checked his sugar this morning. I have him put on high flow oxygen and get one of my firefighters started on vitals while I check his sugar. Much to my surprise his sugar is fine! My first thought was, "Ooohh what fun. It's not a simple hypoglycemic patient!" I quickly start to dig a little deeper with my assessment. The way the patient is acting (a little out of it but starting to come around slowly) makes me think of a postictal seizure patient but the roommate didn't say anything about a history of seizures. I ask roommate one more time and he tells me that the patient was shaking when he first came in the room. And that the patient has been having seizures for the last 2 weeks. I start my line and monitor the patient. He continues to slowly come around. Once MBA showed up we loaded him and sent him on his way.

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