Aims: We developed a new clinical integrated pathway linking a regional Ambulance Trust with a severe hypoglycaemia (SH) prevention team. We present clinical data from the first 2000 emergency calls taken through this new clinical pathway in the East of England.
Methods: SH patients attended by Ambulance crew receive written information on SH avoidance, and are contacted for further education through a new regional SH prevention team. All patients are contacted unless they actively decline.
Results: Median age (IQR) was 67 (50-80) years, 23.6% of calls were for patients over 80years old, and patients more than 90years old were more common than 20-25year olds in this population. Most calls were for patients (84.9%) who were insulin treated, even those over 80years (75%). One - third of patients attended after a call were unconscious on attendance. 5.6% of patients in this call population had 3 or more ambulance call outs, and they generated 17.6% of all calls. In total, 728 episodes (36.4%) were repeat calls. Insulin related events were clinically more severe than oral hypoglycaemic related events. Patients conveyed to hospitals (13.8%) were significantly older, with poorer recovery in biochemical hypoglycaemia after ambulance crew attendance. Only 19 (1%) opted out of further contact. Patients were contacted by the SH prevention team after a median 3 (0-6) days. The most common patient self - reported cause for their SH episode was related to perceived errors in insulin management (31.4%).
Conclusions: This new clinical service is simple, acceptable to patients, and a translatable model for prevention of recurrent SH in this largely elderly insulin treated SH population.
Keywords: Ambulance; Diabetes; Emergency; Insulin; Severe hypoglycaemia.
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