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Updated: May 14, 2026

Improving IV Insulin Administration in a Community Hospital
Published on: June 11, 2012
Severe hypoglycaemia requiring emergency medical assistance by ambulance services in the East Midlands: a
Kamlesh Khunti1, Harriet Fisher, Sanjoy Paul
1Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester Diabetes Centre, Gwendolen Road, Leicester LE5 4PW, UK. kk22@leicester.ac.uk
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.
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