'Lansley must listen to nurses on the front line' 
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- Article: How to manage hypoglycaemia
- Author: Jill Hill is a diabetes nurse consultant, Birmingham Community Healthcare Trust.
This article tells you about:
- Hypoglycaemia
- Its signs and symptoms
- What causes it to occur
- How to manage it
You would be likely to reference this article if you were researching:
- Diabetes
- Glycaemic control
- Hypoglycaemia
In what situations will this article be useful to me?
- If you are caring for patients with diabetes. Hypoglycaemia is much more common in type 1 diabetes but it can occur in patients with type 2 diabetes. Patients may be admitted for treatment of their diabetes or may be in hospital for another reason.
- If their diabetes is not the primary reason for their admission you will still need to be aware of their diabetes, especially as they will be out of their normal routine and this will make it more difficult for them to control their blood glucose levels.
Questions for your mentor/tutor
- What advice should I be giving to a patient after a hypoglycaemic episode?
- Should I assume that all patients with diabetes understand hypoglycaemia?
Student Nursing Times Decoder
- Blood glucose: This is the level of blood glucose in the blood. A normal level would be between 3.9-7.2 mmol/L
- Hypoglycaemia: This is when the blood glucose level falls to below 4mmol/L.
- Sulphonylureas: A group of oral drugs that are used in type 2 diabetes to stimulate the pancreas to produce insulin.
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