lowest blood sugar reading?

citizensoldierny

Forum Captain
293
0
16
7 is my low that came up to whopping 14 with glucagon and a high in the nine hundreds.
 

medicRob

Forum Deputy Chief
1,754
3
0
Lowest I've seen (And it was verified by taking another sample) was 29. Highest was around 300
 

medicRob

Forum Deputy Chief
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3
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Lowest I've seen (And it was verified by taking another sample) was 29. Highest was around 300

I take that back, highest was "To Be Continued"
 

katgrl2003

Forum Asst. Chief
776
7
18
Lowest I've seen was 19... on a transfer from a bandaid station to another one for high potassium. They were giving him Kayexalate, insulin, and glucose to bring down the potassium. Nurse giving report said the patients nurse just went to break, but patient was fine. Not. Unresponsive, pale, cool... just looked sick. They forgot to keep an eye on his BG.

Highest said HI on glucometer. Found out later the lab had to dilute it several times to get a BG of 1600.
 

MrBrown

Forum Deputy Chief
3,957
23
38
Has anyone ever had any success with oral glucose with an unconscious patient?

Bro seriously if you are giving an unconscious patient oral glucose you will win the Brown award for poor prehopital medisin sponsored by the Houston Fire Department and thier 16 week zero to Paramedic course
 

18G

Paramedic
1,368
12
38
Lowest I've seen was in the 20's... 27 I believe it was. Last month had a non-compliant diabetic at 507.
 

18G

Paramedic
1,368
12
38
I would not give an unconscious person anything PO. However, if a situation presented where a patient was unconscious and known to be hypoglycemic and oral glucose was all I had, I would place some in between the cheek and gum on both sides and monitor closely... again stressing as a last resort kinda thing and not something I would do while actually on-duty. If a tongue depressor is available you could place oral glucose on the depressor and hold between cheek and gum... effect will prob be negligible but if its all ya got its worth a try.

Lowest I've seen was 19... on a transfer from a bandaid station to another one for high potassium. They were giving him Kayexalate, insulin, and glucose to bring down the potassium. Nurse giving report said the patients nurse just went to break, but patient was fine. Not. Unresponsive, pale, cool... just looked sick. They forgot to keep an eye on his BG.

Sounds like they forgot to give D50 along with the insulin.
 

TransportJockey

Forum Chief
8,623
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ffemt8978

Forum Vice-Principal
Community Leader
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Bro seriously if you are giving an unconscious patient oral glucose you will win the Brown award for poor prehopital medisin sponsored by the Houston Fire Department and thier 16 week zero to Paramedic course
I think the Occupational Health nurse that gave oral glucose to an unconscious diabetic laying on the floor actually deserves that award instead. It took us a couple of minutes to suction the airway clear, which we did while starting a line and waiting on the medics.
 

medic417

The Truth Provider
5,104
3
38

Naota_X

Forum Crew Member
44
0
0
i saw a 30 was the lowest and you couldnt even tell the patient was totally fine but he had falled and hit his head but was talking normally and acting right
 

Hockey

Quackers
1,222
6
38
Lowest-8

Highest-It read HIGH for us. Came back later, sugar was 1629. Thats a good day
 
OP
OP
F

FirefighterMatt

Forum Ride Along
7
0
0
Ok,I get it about the oral glucose LOL - let me explain.

We dont transport and the patient was unresponsive and our ambulance was backed up with calls with an ETA of 45 mins.

So I rolled her on her side (in the recovery position so she wouldnt choke) and put oral glucose on her gums and behind her lower lip. Not much at all, but I steadily applied it while waiting on the ambulance.

I was wondering if it was a worthless effort. I knew that it was unlikely to revive her but maybe it'd help keep her from slipping further into diabetic shock.
 

foxfire

Forum Asst. Chief
608
1
0
The lowest I have seen so far was 24, pt was not alert but still responding to painful stimuli.
Havent had any highs yet. most within normal range.
 

DrankTheKoolaid

Forum Deputy Chief
1,344
21
38
re

Lowest reading ive had in the field was 10 mg/dL and the patient was decorticate posturing, and the highest ive had read (HI) 1320's by lab in ED with patient CAOX4 just "didnt feel well"
 

JJR512

Forum Deputy Chief
1,336
4
36
Has anyone ever had any success with oral glucose with an unconscious patient?

Bro seriously if you are giving an unconscious patient oral glucose you will win the Brown award for poor prehopital medisin sponsored by the Houston Fire Department and thier 16 week zero to Paramedic course

I would not give an unconscious person anything PO. However, if a situation presented where a patient was unconscious and known to be hypoglycemic and oral glucose was all I had, I would place some in between the cheek and gum on both sides and monitor closely... again stressing as a last resort kinda thing and not something I would do while actually on-duty. If a tongue depressor is available you could place oral glucose on the depressor and hold between cheek and gum... effect will prob be negligible but if its all ya got its worth a try.

Administering oral glucose to any unresponsive patient, when no other more obvious or noticeable reason for that patient to be unresponsive can be found or detected (keeping in mind that most Maryland EMT-Bs cannot check blood sugar levels), is standard protocol for Maryland EMT-Bs. The administration method is the between-cheek-and-gum method.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

medic417

The Truth Provider
5,104
3
38
Ok,I get it about the oral glucose LOL - let me explain.

We dont transport and the patient was unresponsive and our ambulance was backed up with calls with an ETA of 45 mins.

So I rolled her on her side (in the recovery position so she wouldnt choke) and put oral glucose on her gums and behind her lower lip. Not much at all, but I steadily applied it while waiting on the ambulance.

I was wondering if it was a worthless effort. I knew that it was unlikely to revive her but maybe it'd help keep her from slipping further into diabetic shock.

Should have just completed rolling and gone rectal, less complication and absorbs quickly.
 
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