Prehospital treatment of severe hypoglycaemia: a comparison of intramuscular glucagon and intravenous glucose.

INTRODUCTION: By introducing an intensified insulin treatment regime to patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), the frequency of long-term complications that the patient will experience has been shown to decrease. The price is an increase in the frequency of severe and mild hypoglycaemic events. Therefore, constant monitoring of these patients is necessary. HYPOTHESIS: This study compares the time until full recovery of IDDM patients with severe hypoglycaemia after treatment with either intravenous glucose or intramuscular glucagon. METHODS: 14 patients with IDDM with severe hypoglycaemia requiring treatment by the medical staff was randomised to treatment either with 50 ml of 50% glucose intravenously or intramuscular 1 mg glucagon. The time to recovery was recorded. Plasma glucose was measured at fixed intervals to achieve a glycaemia profile. Demographic data were acquired through patient interviews following recovery. RESULTS: Recovery time between the two groups was significantly different statistically. Recovery time ranged for 1 to 3 minutes for those receiving glucose intravenously and 8 to 21 minutes for those receiving intramuscular glucagon. Characteristic glycaemia profiles were identified and differences were present between the two groups with a greater fluctuating pattern for the glucose group compared to the steadily increasing pattern seen after glucagon treatment. Alcohol was believed to be involved in 8 out of the 14 cases, and thereby, is the major confounding factor in this study. CONCLUSION: Intramuscularly administered glucagon is a safe and reliable alternative to intravenous glucose infusion. The fluctuating glycemia pattern seen after glucose treatment indicates a low risk for secondary hypoglycaemia. However, further studies are necessary to support this assertion.

Prehospital treatment of patients with i.v. heroin overdose: what are we treating?

OBJECTIVE: To measure blood levels of morphine and additional drugs in patients suspected of intravenous (i.v.) heroin abuse and to evaluate the effects of antidote treatment. DESIGN: Prehospital blood sampling in 52 patients. RESULTS: Forty-five patients were blood-positive for heroin, eight of whom were hospitalized. Forty-one patients also had abused additional drugs: minor tranquilizers, ethanol, amphetamine, cocaine, and/or carbamazepine. Seven patients had taken either only methadone or ketobemidione: one was admitted. Treatment with increasing doses of naloxone indicated a necessity for hospitalization. Six of 14 patients treated with naloxone (1.8 mg were hospitalized. Seven patients had an extremely high blood level of morphine (0.2 mg/kg), that could be reverted with naloxone in moderate doses. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that under prehospital conditions, it is difficult to identify a patient intoxicated only with intravenous heroin. Nearly all patients treated were cases of multiple drug/alcohol overdoses. Even the symptoms associated with extremely high blood levels of morphine could be reversed with naloxone in moderate doses.

[The Cusum score. A tool for evaluation of clinical competence]. / Cusum-score. Et redskab til evaluering af klinisk kompetence.

INTRODUCTION: The cusum analysis (cummulative summation) is a statistical technique used to assess the competence of medical trainees. We wanted to re-examine the validity of the test as a technique for qualitative assessment of competence, as well as a technique for monitoring the level of specialists' competence. METHODS: Doctors in two anaesthetic departments were asked to plot the cusum as they performed the following procedures: epidural and spinal analgesia, insertion of central venous and arterial cannulae. RESULTS: Data were collected over a year. Thirty-five doctors were asked to plot the cusum. The plots were returned by 75% (9/12) of the first year trainees, 50% (4/8) of the second- and third-year trainees, and 20% (1/5) of the four- and five-year trainees. From the specialists and consultants on the staff, we received 66% (4/6) and 50% (2/4). The correlation, according to the level of competence respecting spinal and epidural techniques, is shown in Figures 1 and 2. DISCUSSION: We found, that the cusum analysis is a valid and practical technique for the qualitative assessment of clinical competence as well as a tool for monitoring continuous professional development. The technique can be used in a number of settings. With the increasing demand in health care for continuous quality assurance, the analysis can be used both in personal professional monitoring and in monitoring of performance during training.

[Emergency prehospital treatment of severe hypoglycemia in the Copenhagen Municipality. A retrospective analysis of 180 episodes]. / Akut praehospitalsbehandling af svaer hypoglykaemi i Københavns Kommune. En retrospektiv analyse af 180 episoder.

A retrospective study concerning prehospital treatment of 180 consecutive patients with severe hypoglycaemia, treated by the Mobile intensive care unit (MICU) in Copenhagen was performed. A total of 113 (63%) were male. Of these 104 patients had blood-glucose concentrations less than 2 mmol/l. Eleven patients had blood-glucose concentrations between 2 and 4 mmol/l. After treatment with 50% glucose solution: (25-50 ml I.V.), 131 patients could remain at home. During the 24 hour period after the initial event, two patients needed a second treatment by the mobile intensive care unit on account of secondary hypoglycaemia. Four further patients were admitted to hospital; none of these suffered secondary hypoglycaemic events. One case was registered as "life-saving" on account of treatment of severe airway obstruction. It seems that prehospital treatment of severe hypoglycaemia is beneficial mainly because transportation of delirious, abusive patients can be avoided and the workload of emergency-rooms can be reduced. 69% of patients suffering a severe hypoglycaemic event, were treated prehospitally without subsequent transportation to hospital.

[Acute asthma outside hospital. The predictive value of pulse oximetry in manifestation of respiratory insufficiency]. / Akut astma uden for hospital. Vaerdien af pulsoximetri som prognostikum for manifest respirationsinsufficiens.

The objective of the study was to evaluate the predictive value of pulse oximetry before treatment of acute asthma in the prehospital setting. Unfavorable outcome was defined as need for mechanical ventilation during the acute attack. The study was carried out prospectively. The patients were divided into two groups: SpO2 < 80% and SpO2 > or = 80%. The study group consisted of 44 patients with 47 asthmatic attacks. Eleven patients had SpO2 < 80%, of whom two required mechanical ventilation. Thirty-three patients with 36 attacks had SpO2 > or = 80%, none required mechanical ventilation. Oximetry before treatment with a cut off point of < 80% had a specificity of 18% and a sensitivity of 100% for prediction of unfavourable outcome. We conclude at SpO2 < 80% in the acute asthmatic attack is a serious prognostic sign which should warn the physician that the patient's condition is lifethreatening.

[Emergency prehospitalization treatment of cardiac arrest in the municipality of Copenhagen]. / Akut praehospitalsbehandling af hjertestop i Københavns Kommune.

A retrospective study was performed concerning prehospital cardiac arrest. This revealed that 177 consecutive patients received advanced medical resuscitation by an anaesthesiologist at the site of the accident during the period 01.01.1988-31.12.1988. A total of 61 (35%) were admitted to hospital and 24 of these (14%) survived for more than 30 days. All 24 were discharged to their homes without major cerebral sequelae. After one year, 21 were still alive. Compared with the results of previous studies in Copenhagen, this study reveals that the overall survival rate may have improved and that cerebral function after cardiac arrest seems to have been improved by the introduction of prehospital medically staffed ambulances.

[Prehospital pain relief with nitrous oxide (Entonox)]. / Praehospital smertebehandling med kvaelstofforilte (Entonox).

Many patients suffering from trauma or acute illness are in need of pain treatment in the prehospital phase, a treatment they seldom receive. In Denmark, it has been considered whether ambulance personnel should be allowed to administer pain treatment. Inhalation of 50% nitrous oxide and 50% oxygen has been administered for many years by non-physicians around the world. Therefore considerations concerning implementation of this treatment in Denmark are relevant. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the available knowledge about and experiences in using nitrous oxide outside the hospital for patients suffering from acute pain. The papers so far published are positive, but give no definite background for uncritical recommendation of prehospital pain treatment with nitrous oxide. There are no controlled studies concerning the effect of pain treatment in the prehospital phase. The few available controlled studies conducted inside the hospital have not shown significant pain-relieving effects of nitrous oxide for patients suffering from pain of acute medical of surgical origin when compared to other methods of pain treatment. Controlled studies of the effects of prehospital treatment with nitrous oxide need to be done. Technical problems and problems concerning indications, side effects, complications, pollution and possible addiction remain to be fully elucidated before prehospital treatment with nitrous oxide can be recommended for routine use in the Danish ambulances.

Drugs in blood samples from unconscious drug addicts after the intake of an overdose.

This investigation includes whole blood samples from 53 drug addicts found unconscious in the Copenhagen area with evidence of a heroin overdose. Heroin/morphine was detected in 85% of the patients and other opioids in 11%. One or more benzodiazepines, most often diazepam, were detected in 75% of the patients. A blood alcohol concentration higher than 1.00 mg/g was detected in 57% of the patients. Methadone was detected in seven patients, ketobemidone in four, amphetamine in five and cocaine in one. This investigation showed widespread multi-drug abuse and heroin/morphine alone was detected in only one patient. As indicators of heroin intake, 6-mono-acetylmorphine (MAM) and morphine were detected in this investigation.