A. A diabetic friend of yours is visiting. You are talking in your kitchen when

Question

A. A diabetic friend of yours is visiting. You are talking in your kitchen when he suddenly realized that he has accidentally injected himself with an overdose of insulin. What might you have on hand that you could give him? Why would you give him that? Why is an overdoes of insulin dangerous?

B. Suppose your diabetic friend is visiting yet again two months later, and you find him unconscious. You're awaiting the paramedics who seem to be taking forever to arrive. Since you know that he is diabetic, should you quickly give him insulin? Why or why not?

Explanation / Answer

A) When you inject too much insulin you actually lower your blood sugar levels. To help treat hypoglycemia or insulin overdose you need to raise your blood glucose with some form of sugar. If you were in your kitchen you could give the person some fruit juice or some pieces of hard candy. Overdose of insulin is dangerous because if you don't treat it the symptoms can progress to a point where you might actually pass out the brain needs glucose for nourishment and the body needs to maintain sufficient levels to regulate blood pressure.

B) If you can you should give your friend an injection of glucagon (if they have it) it’s a hormone produced by the pancreas that raises blood sugar levels. You should NOT inject insulin! If you inject the person with insulin it can actually cause their blood glucose levels to drop even more making the emergency situation much worse.

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