Sweet and Low – A Pancreatic Dilemma of Systemic Proportions
It has become part of the routine call for most EMS providers—the diabetic patient. Many of our patients become regulars…so much so that we know them not only by name, but by their glucometer readings as well. The burden of diabetes on the health care industry will reach pandemic proportions over the next 15 years – costs already exceed 245 billion dollars and 71,000 lives annually. With an estimated 50% of Americans diagnosed with diabetes or pre-diabetes, the long-term progressive complications of diabetes, along with methods of helping diabetic patients practice responsible self-health care, will be explored.
Objectives:
- Describe the rising impact diabetes is having on the American health care system in regard to cost, percentage of patients, and long-term treatment modalities.
- Define the difference between type I and type II diabetes
- Improve understanding of the chronic complications of diabetes including coronary heart & renal disease, eye problems, neuropathies, cerebrovascular & peripheral vascular disease.
- Discuss the importance of gathering thorough patient history examination points.
- Improve the understanding of the anatomical and physiological aspects of diabetes.
- Discuss the treatment of diabetic emergencies