Abstract
Aims
To report the characteristics and treatment of individuals requiring emergency ambulance
services for severe hypoglycaemia and estimate associated provider costs.
Methods
Retrospective analysis of routinely collected data collected by the East Midlands
Ambulance Trust, UK, of episodes of severe hypoglycaemia attended by emergency ambulance
services during a four-month period. Standard clinical measures, response time, on-site
treatment and transportation were recorded and ambulance services costs calculated.
Results
90,435 emergency calls were recorded, 523 (0.6%) for severe hypoglycaemia, equating
to an incidence of to 2.76 per 100 patient years; 74% of individuals were insulin-treated,
28% of events occurred nocturnally (00:00–07:59), and 32% were transported to hospital.
Higher respiratory rate was a positive predictor (p = 0.03), whereas higher post treatment blood glucose (p = 0.05) and insulin treatment (p < 0.01) were negative predictors of transport to hospital. Median treatment costs for
individuals transported and not transported to hospital were £92 and £176 respectively.
Conclusions
Most cases of severe hypoglycaemia requiring assistance from emergency ambulance services
are successfully treated at the scene. Individuals not responding to treatment or
were non insulin-treated were more likely to be transported to hospital. Further studies
are needed to evaluate the effect of prehospital ambulance care by treatment and diabetes
type on subsequent outcomes.
Abbreviations:
UK (United Kingdom), NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence)Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: January 31, 2013
Accepted:
January 4,
2013
Received in revised form:
January 1,
2013
Received:
September 5,
2012
Identification
Copyright
© 2013 Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
