TY - JOUR AU - Zoungas S. AU - Smith K. AU - Teede H. AU - Ranasinha S. AU - Villani M. AU - Nanayakkara N. AU - Tan C. AU - Morgans A. AU - Soldatos G. AB -

AIMS: Diabetes is associated with several acute, life-threatening complications yet there are limited data on the utilisation of prehospital services for their management. This study aimed to examine the utilisation of emergency medical services (EMS) for prehospital hypoglycaemia, including patient characteristics and factors related to hospital transportation. METHODS: An observational study of patients requiring EMS for hypoglycaemia across Victoria, Australia over three years was conducted. Pre-specified data including patient demographics, comorbidities, examination findings and transport outcomes were obtained. Logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with transportation. RESULTS: During the study period, 12,411 hypoglycaemia events were attended by paramedics for people with diabetes. The majority were individuals with type 1 diabetes (58.8%), followed by type 2 diabetes (35.2%) and unspecified diabetes type (5.9%). Thirty-eight percent of patients were transported to hospital by EMS following hypoglycaemia. Factors associated with transport by EMS included extremes of age (<15 and >75years), female gender, type 2 diabetes, event at a nursing home or hospital/community clinic, presence of comorbidities and time of day. CONCLUSIONS: Examination of the utilisation of EMS for hypoglycaemia has identified a previously unquantified need for emergency care for people with diabetes as well as factors related to hospital transportation.

AD - Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation-MCHRI, School Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University in partnership with Monash Health, Locked Bag 29, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia.
Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation-MCHRI, School Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University in partnership with Monash Health, Locked Bag 29, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia; Diabetes and Vascular Medicine Unit, Monash Health, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia.
Diabetes and Vascular Medicine Unit, Monash Health, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia.
Research and Evaluation, Ambulance Victoria, 31 Joseph Street, Blackburn North, VIC, 3130, Australia; Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Primary, Aboriginal and Rural Health Care, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009.
Monash University School of Primary Health Care, Notting Hill, VIC, 3168; Royal District Nursing Service, RDNS Institute, St Kilda, VIC, 3182.
Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation-MCHRI, School Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University in partnership with Monash Health, Locked Bag 29, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia; Diabetes and Vascular Medicine Unit, Monash Health, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia; The George Institute for Global Health, Camperdown, NSW, 2050, Australia. Electronic address: sophia.zoungas@monash.edu. AN - 27184824 BT - Journal of Diabetes and Its Complications DA - 169520011183 DP - NLM ET - 2016/05/18 LA - Eng LB - AUS
CDV
FY16 N1 - Villani, Melanie
Nanayakkara, Natalie
Ranasinha, Sanjeeva
Tan, Chin Yao
Smith, Karen
Morgans, Amee
Soldatos, Georgia
Teede, Helena
Zoungas, Sophia
J Diabetes Complications. 2016 Apr 23. pii: S1056-8727(16)30114-3. doi: 10.1016/j.jdiacomp.2016.04.015. N2 -

AIMS: Diabetes is associated with several acute, life-threatening complications yet there are limited data on the utilisation of prehospital services for their management. This study aimed to examine the utilisation of emergency medical services (EMS) for prehospital hypoglycaemia, including patient characteristics and factors related to hospital transportation. METHODS: An observational study of patients requiring EMS for hypoglycaemia across Victoria, Australia over three years was conducted. Pre-specified data including patient demographics, comorbidities, examination findings and transport outcomes were obtained. Logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with transportation. RESULTS: During the study period, 12,411 hypoglycaemia events were attended by paramedics for people with diabetes. The majority were individuals with type 1 diabetes (58.8%), followed by type 2 diabetes (35.2%) and unspecified diabetes type (5.9%). Thirty-eight percent of patients were transported to hospital by EMS following hypoglycaemia. Factors associated with transport by EMS included extremes of age (<15 and >75years), female gender, type 2 diabetes, event at a nursing home or hospital/community clinic, presence of comorbidities and time of day. CONCLUSIONS: Examination of the utilisation of EMS for hypoglycaemia has identified a previously unquantified need for emergency care for people with diabetes as well as factors related to hospital transportation.

PY - 2016 SN - 1873-460X (Electronic)
1056-8727 (Linking) T2 - Journal of Diabetes and Its Complications TI - Utilisation of emergency medical services for severe hypoglycaemia: An unrecognised health care burden Y2 - FY16 ER -