Staff from Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust promote Hypo Awareness Week
Staff at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust took part in a national drive to raise awareness of a condition in people living with diabetes.
Diabetes experts from the Trust highlighted a condition known as Hypoglycaemia, or a hypo, which happens when the blood glucose levels of people with diabetes drop too low and they can feel shaky, unwell and can even slip into a coma.
The number of people with diabetes occupying hospital beds has increased since 2010, up from 14.6 per cent to 16.8 per cent in 2015, according to the latest results from the National Diabetes Inpatient Audit.
The bedside survey also found that more than one fifth (21.8 per cent) of inpatients had one or more hypoglycaemic episodes over the previous seven days of their stay.
The annual campaign aims to raise awareness of hypoglycaemia in the UK by educating healthcare professionals about the condition. The theme for this year is optimum control and the Autumn awareness drive is calling for a good control of diabetes to avoid hypos.
Caroline McNicholas, a member of the Trust’s diabetes team, said: “Staff from the Adult and Paediatric teams came together to promote safe treatment and management of hypoglycaemia in the community and hospital setting.
“We spoke to patients and staff, showing them how to recognise hypo symptoms and showed how to treat hypos by looking at various treatments available and following an established method of care.’’
For more information about Hypos go to www.diabetes.org.uk
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