Diabetic Emergencies

Most diabetic patient adequately manage the disease and maintain stable blood sugar levels. However there is a condition where diabetic person can not control himself because of severe illness or suddenly bad condition because of uncontrolled treatment. Therefore first aid skill is needed to help for their life.

There is a condition in which the onset of diabetic coma from insufficient insulin, leaving cells unable to absorb glucose from the blood, is usually gradual and therefore unlikely to reach crisis stage. Blood sugar levels elevate as the condition progresses, leading to sever hyperglycemia. Early symptoms of hyperglycemia include:

• Thirst
• Frequent urination
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Shortness of breath
• Ultimately coma

Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) can be occurred because of taking too much insulin, skipping food, or excessive stress, exercise, or alcohol consumption. It can develop more rapidly and usually without warning, except the victim is usually aware that he or she is diabetic. The symptoms of hypoglycemia include:

• Weakness
• Dizziness
• Excessive sweating
• Pale, cold, and moist skin
• Rapid pulse
• Headache
• Poor coordination
• Shakes or trembling
• Changes in behavior or mood
• Seizures
• Eventual coma

First Aid Actions:
The treatment of a person with low blood sugar is simple and quickly effective if initiated soon enough. Give the victim any food or ding that contains sugar, including soda, fruit juices, ice cream, candy bars, or spoonfuls of table sugar dissolved in water. If he or she loses consciousness, place sugar, cake icing, or similar under his or her tongue.

Be aware to not let a recovering victim resume normal activity too quickly. He or she should rest and should be allowed to eat some food that will provide a longer-acting release of sugars into the blood.

Medical First Aid Skill: Listening to the Heartbeat

Listening to the heartbeat is as important as taking a pulse. When you hear the person’s heartbeat means he or she is alive even if the pulse is so weak. How to listen a heartbeat: Here are the ways:

1. For men, put your ear below the breastbone slightly to the left of the nipple. For women, put your ear right below the left breast. For children, put your ear slightly to the left of the nipple
2. Count heartbeats for one full minute. You will find normal heartbeats for adult 60-90 times per minute. Children and babies can have higher ranges.

When the heartbeat is too fast, it means the person is suffering from agitation or panic, shock, or fever.

Medical First Aid Skill: Taking Pulse – Finding Heart

What is a pulse? The pulse is the rhythmic expanding and contracting of the arteries (heart) caused by blood moving through them. It’s also called as a heartbeat. Everyone has heartbeat. Then how to take a pulse or heartbeat?

Normally pulse ranges from 60 to 90 beats per minute in adult, 80 to 160 beats per minute in young children, and up to 120 beats per minute in babies. A rapid pulse can be sign of shock or severe strain on the heart.

There are several ways to take a pulse / heart beat. Every time you can’t feel a pulse at one location, you should tray another location on the individual’s body. Here are the steps:

1. Place your index and middle finger on the inside of the person’s wrist
2. If you can’t feel it at the wrist then try the carotid artery at the neck. It is located below the ear on the side of the neck directly below the jaw. This way is the best when you have to give victim mouth-to-mouth ventilation
3. If you still fail to feel a pulse, use the same two fingers on either side of Adam’s apple at the throat, the femoral pulse at the groin, or in between the muscle on the inner side of the upper arm
4. When you feel a pulse, count it for 15 seconds
5. Multiply the number you get by four, you will find the individual’s heartbeats per minute