WOW! This really grinds my gears
I'm not joking, I'm actually pissed atm over this article on Medical Emergencies of Diabetes posted over on Diabetic Insider faithfully copied & pasted here for your enjoyment and perpetuity.
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There are certain medical emergencies that are associated with diabetes and some of them are discussed below.
Altered mental status
Certain mental status like lethargy, forgetfulness, agitation or unusually strange behavior can be a sign of dangerously high or dangerously low levels of blood sugar. If these signs are noticed, then follow any of the following things.
Give the person a cup of fresh fruit juice or any icy substance. And avoid any hard materials including hard candy. Immediately call the ambulance or emergency care unit. The above said apply to patients who are affected with diabetes.
If the person who develops the above said symptoms and is not known diabetic, then these are the symptoms of stroke, alcohol intoxication, oxygen or other extremely dangerous medical situations.
High level fever
If a person with diabetes develops a fever higher than 105.5 degrees Fahrenheit, then he is in need of immediate medical emergency. Also note that if he is experiencing any symptoms of cough, chest pain or any pain in the abdominal area or while urination.
Nausea or vomiting
If a person undergoes a state where he is unable to digest or keep any food or medications, then he might have developed complicated type of diabetes like nonketotic syndrome. At this stage if the person with diabetes has not taken the insulin, then he must avoid it until consulting a medical professional.
If the patient with diabetes has very low levels of blood sugar, consuming insulin may cause the blood sugar to even dangerous levels causing serious medical situations like coma or even death.
High blood sugar levels
Emergency medical situation occurs when the blood sugar levels go above 400 mg/dL. This must be informed to the medical staff immediately. These may the signs of certain serious diabetes complications and hence if left untreated can be fatal.
Chest pain
If the person affected with diabetes develops chest pain especially on the left side should be considered as an emergency situation. This may be a symptom of developing a heart attack. Apart from the above, irregular heartbeats and the shortness of breath can be a sign of heart attack.
Abdominal pain
Abdominal pain is a very serious concern and depending on the area where the pain arises, the risk of developing heart attack arises. These symptoms on a diabetic patient can be life threatening than in the normal people.
Large sores on the feet
If a wound is inflicted on a diabetic patient and if it goes larger day by day, then later it may develop serious feet infection which can be fatal. It may cause swelling and pain around the wound. This is a serious medical emergency and should be consulted with a doctor soon.
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Honestly, isn't there is enough misinformation about diabetes out there? Why the hell won't people do a little research?
There are so many wrong and quite dangerous pieces of information in there that I don't know where to start, but I'll just point out a few...
If a person may have low sugar OR high sugar, you should always treat with more sugar? How about you test first to see which it is? An icy substance? WTF
Anyone with a temp of 105 should be in the hospital. Oh and that chest pain thing? Anyone should go to the ER if that happens.
So if someone is in nonketotic syndrome (had to look that one up) which has dangerously high glucose levels as a symptom , they are not to take insulin? Low blood sugar levels are NOT a symptom of this. You want them to wait until they can get with a doc, hope the ER isn’t crowded that day. Oh, this also is NOT a "complicated type of diabetes". It is a symptom of being out of control at the moment, for whatever reason.
If some poor soul was to read that crap and believe it, they better hope that a trip to the ER is all that happens and that all their affairs are in order.
Definitely old and cranky today,
Scott
=======================
There are certain medical emergencies that are associated with diabetes and some of them are discussed below.
Altered mental status
Certain mental status like lethargy, forgetfulness, agitation or unusually strange behavior can be a sign of dangerously high or dangerously low levels of blood sugar. If these signs are noticed, then follow any of the following things.
Give the person a cup of fresh fruit juice or any icy substance. And avoid any hard materials including hard candy. Immediately call the ambulance or emergency care unit. The above said apply to patients who are affected with diabetes.
If the person who develops the above said symptoms and is not known diabetic, then these are the symptoms of stroke, alcohol intoxication, oxygen or other extremely dangerous medical situations.
High level fever
If a person with diabetes develops a fever higher than 105.5 degrees Fahrenheit, then he is in need of immediate medical emergency. Also note that if he is experiencing any symptoms of cough, chest pain or any pain in the abdominal area or while urination.
Nausea or vomiting
If a person undergoes a state where he is unable to digest or keep any food or medications, then he might have developed complicated type of diabetes like nonketotic syndrome. At this stage if the person with diabetes has not taken the insulin, then he must avoid it until consulting a medical professional.
If the patient with diabetes has very low levels of blood sugar, consuming insulin may cause the blood sugar to even dangerous levels causing serious medical situations like coma or even death.
High blood sugar levels
Emergency medical situation occurs when the blood sugar levels go above 400 mg/dL. This must be informed to the medical staff immediately. These may the signs of certain serious diabetes complications and hence if left untreated can be fatal.
Chest pain
If the person affected with diabetes develops chest pain especially on the left side should be considered as an emergency situation. This may be a symptom of developing a heart attack. Apart from the above, irregular heartbeats and the shortness of breath can be a sign of heart attack.
Abdominal pain
Abdominal pain is a very serious concern and depending on the area where the pain arises, the risk of developing heart attack arises. These symptoms on a diabetic patient can be life threatening than in the normal people.
Large sores on the feet
If a wound is inflicted on a diabetic patient and if it goes larger day by day, then later it may develop serious feet infection which can be fatal. It may cause swelling and pain around the wound. This is a serious medical emergency and should be consulted with a doctor soon.
=======================
Honestly, isn't there is enough misinformation about diabetes out there? Why the hell won't people do a little research?
There are so many wrong and quite dangerous pieces of information in there that I don't know where to start, but I'll just point out a few...
If a person may have low sugar OR high sugar, you should always treat with more sugar? How about you test first to see which it is? An icy substance? WTF
Anyone with a temp of 105 should be in the hospital. Oh and that chest pain thing? Anyone should go to the ER if that happens.
So if someone is in nonketotic syndrome (had to look that one up) which has dangerously high glucose levels as a symptom , they are not to take insulin? Low blood sugar levels are NOT a symptom of this. You want them to wait until they can get with a doc, hope the ER isn’t crowded that day. Oh, this also is NOT a "complicated type of diabetes". It is a symptom of being out of control at the moment, for whatever reason.
If some poor soul was to read that crap and believe it, they better hope that a trip to the ER is all that happens and that all their affairs are in order.
Definitely old and cranky today,
Scott
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Comment by Kimberly on January 28, 2010 at 8:24am -
This article sounds like it was either written by a non-English speaker or was translated from some other language. Maybe the editors at that website need a stern talking-to.
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Comment by George Simmons on January 28, 2010 at 8:47am -
If I called an ambulance every time my BG went over 400 I would be broke. AND if anyone brings me an "Icy Substance" it better be backed up with a diet coke. I'm just sayin'!
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Comment by Holger Schmeken on January 28, 2010 at 9:09am -
Betes for Dummies explained by Dummies. It is a bizzare selection of emergency situations. The mixture of highs and lows is below the standard of a so called insider. Also the wording "If a wound is inflicted on a diabetic patient" is bizzare - even for a non-native speaker like me. Next time when this author is feeling abdominal pain I would suggest to take the bath room and not to write on articles, LOL.
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Comment by Scott on January 28, 2010 at 9:28am -
Kim - at least
George - Heck dude, you'd be stimulating the economy!
Holger - I hope they take that advice
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Comment by Terrie on January 28, 2010 at 11:44am -
Geez, that's a scary and confusing article. The Person who wrote it was obviously having a low....on smarts that day.
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Comment by Myriah on January 28, 2010 at 12:32pm -
icy substance?? but no hard candies?? can't you choke on ice, too?? ...just sayin....
haha!
Comment
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