Safety

Ted Clark, CLCS, Loss Control Consultant, Acadia Insurance

Quarterly Safety Meeting: Diabetes

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death every year in the United States and affects about 34.2 million people of which 1 in 5 do not realize they have it. There are three types of Diabetes, but for the purpose of this article we will focus on Type 2 diabetes which the CDC estimates makes up 90-95% of all cases. Because of the prevalence of diabetes among adults and the unique challenges that logging presents to emergency response, it is critical for employees to understand how to recognize the early symptoms of a diabetic emergency as well as the steps they can take to reduce the chance of a severe medical emergency.

In the simplest terms, diabetes can be defined as blood sugar levels that are not well regulated. Your body turns the majority of food and drinks that you consume into sugar which elevates the sugar level in the blood. Once your blood sugar level begins to increase, your pancreas releases insulin to lower the blood sugar levels. People who have diabetes either can’t make enough insulin; or they are resistant to the insulin that their body creates. Regardless of the underlying health reasons, a diabetic emergency can have potentially life threatening consequences so quick recognition and treatment of symptoms may make the difference of life and death.

Typical symptoms of low blood sugar include:

Mental Status Change – the patient may experience dizziness, shakiness or mood change even combativeness. May also experience a headache, confusion or difficulty paying attention.

Pale skin and sweaty

Hunger

Clumsy, jerky movements

Possible seizure

You can treat low blood sugar by giving three glucose tablets (½ cup of fruit juice, 1 or 2 sugar packets or 56 pieces of hard candy). Monitor the patient closely following administration of the sugar. If the patient feels ill or has signs and symptoms after 15 minutes, give more sugar. Call 9-1-1 if the person becomes unresponsive or continues to have signs and symptoms.

Typical symptoms of high blood sugar include:

Frequent urination

Drowsiness

Dry mouth and thirst

Shortness of breath

Breath that smells fruity

Nausea and vomiting

Unresponsiveness

High blood sugar is a medical emergency and should be treated immediately by calling 9-1-1 and getting the patient to advanced medical care. If you are uncertain if the person has high or low blood sugar, the National Safety Council advises that it is safe to administer sugar.

Diabetes is a medical condition that continues to become more prevalent throughout the United States. As it becomes more common, the chance of being exposed to someone having a diabetic emergency increases. Because of this, you should reference this safety meeting on occasion to make sure you are prepared to recognize a diabetic emergency and quickly and effectively treat it.

Acadia Insurance is pleased to share this material with its customers. Please note, however, that nothing in this document should be construed as legal advice or the provision of professional consulting services. This material is for general informational purposes only, and while reasonable care has been utilized in compiling this information, no warranty or representation is made as to accuracy or completeness.