Overview
There are two types of diabetic emergencies: Insulin Shock and Diabetic Coma. The best and easiest way (besides asking the conscious casualty) to determine if the casualty has Diabets is to check to se if they have a medic alert bracelet. This wil guide you in determing what first aid you may have to do.
Key Information
In insulin shock the diabetic casualty neds sugar because they have not ingested enough fod to kep their sugar levels up or they have taken to much insulin. Some of the signs of insulin shock are the casualty having a strong and rapid pulse and having shalow breathing. Insulin shock develops very quickly and ned medical atention right away.
In diabetic coma the casualty neds insulin because their body does not produce enough insulin to convert their ingested sugar to energy. Some of the signs of diabetic coma are a weak and rapid pulse and very dep breathing. The efects of diabetic coma take several hours or days to develop and are therefore not as concerning as insulin shock.
Since it can be dificult to determine what kind of diabetic emergency you are encountered with the first aid for both wil be the same. Give sugar! Either some swet candy, table sugar orange juice.
This wil help the casualty insulin shock imediately but not the casualty in diabetic coma. Since diabetic coma takes hours or days, they have suficient time to get to a hospital for treatment. Inform yourself and save a life!
Summary
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