Lowest blood sugar you have seen - page 3

1. 
   Feb 1, '07

   Occupation: LPN/WOUND NURSE Specialty: ENT, NH LTAC, WOUND CARE ; From: US ; Joined: Jan '07; Posts: 156; Likes: 14

   well I myself have gone doown to 22 and thought I was going to die. I couldn't talk,move or anything else for that matter. I am a nurse as well as a diabetic. I saw a pt once at 32, she was almost coming out the bed and kicking at everyone, eyes were buldging, skin clammy and cold. At that time I was a cna but in school for lpn, the nurse acted as if she couldn't understand why the pt was acting like this so I asked well whats her conditions. And lord and behold Dm was one I said well check her sugar she said I never thought about that. Checked it and it was 32. She wanted to give her glucerna, I told her oj with a pack or two of sugar will bring it up faster. At this time I had no ideas that there facility protocals that should have been followed. But you use your own nursing judgement and cover your own ass(cyoa), that was my first crash course as a student nurse.
2. 
   Feb 8, '07

   Occupation: Nurse Specialty: Spinal Cord injuries, Emergency+EMS ; From: UK ; Joined: Feb '07; Posts: 1,051; Likes: 523

   seen a blood sugar of 1.1 mmol and had a sensible conversation with the patient ...
   
   not sure what the conversion factor between mmol and the common unit on the other side ofthe water is
3. 
   Feb 20, '08

   Occupation: R.N. Specialty: CTICU, Interventional Cardiology, CCU ; From: US ; Joined: Jun '07; Posts: 241; Likes: 607

   lowest was a 19 for me, wasn't my pt but another RN..pt was asymptomatic, pushed D50 x's 2, pt had a hx of hypoglcemia, lowest on the chart was 12 on another unit..Scary for all the RN's on my floor, when I had the same pt the lowest it dropped was 50 still pushed D50 only for the BS to rise to 75, pt was on q 2 h FS too. All night I was feeding the pt OJ c sugar and snacks to keep the BS stable..pt. was cardiac hospice..nice pt. too but passed a few days later dur to CMP and EF of <20 %..
4. 
   Feb 21, '08

   Occupation: med-surg night nurse Specialty: med-surg 5 years geriatrics 12 years ; Joined: Nov '07; Posts: 447; Likes: 380

   The lowest I've seen was 13; the highest was 1310 and she a&o times 3, no ketones and talking.
5. 
   Feb 21, '08

   Occupation: Paramedic/LPN Specialty: EMS, ER, GI, PCU/Telemetry ; From: US ; Joined: Jul '07; Posts: 2,287; Likes: 4,694

   lowest on a concious and very alert pt was 13.... lowest on a pt unconcious was 7...
6. 
   Mar 1, '08

   Joined: Nov '07; Posts: 124; Likes: 36

   Wow those are shockingly low. The lowest I have ever seen was 45, so you all have me beat.
7. 
   Mar 2, '08

   Joined: Nov '06; Posts: 20,715; Likes: 23,950

   In a newborn, the lowest I've seen was 20.
   In an adult the lowest I've seen was 27. Walkie-talkie, too.
8. 
   Mar 3, '08

   Joined: Feb '08; Posts: 460; Likes: 273

   I have to put my in here because I am a Diabetic. I think the lowest I ever saw a blood sugar is 20. But what I want people to know is that a person will feel the symptoms of a low blood sugar when it has gone below their normal range not the book's normal range. When I was out of control & my bood sugar ran >200, if it went below 110 I would start to shake and feel like I was going to pass out, I required sugar when my blood sugar was near 110. This is something they don't seem to teach and one other thing my co-workers sure know if a Diabetic is really really grouchy and nasty-check their blood sugar it is probably really high. And every Diabetic I've asked say they are very nasty when their blood sugar is high also, but I have never seen that give as a symptom of a high blood sugar. If they are just slightly irritable then it's low.
9. 
   Mar 3, '08

   Joined: Aug '02; Posts: 38,000; Likes: 37,202

   When working in LTC, we were all gathered around a LOL who was tanking, doing the group effort thing. Her BS was 22. Relayed this info to the doc who was acting like a donkey. He said he didn't believe us.
10. 
    Mar 5, '08

    Occupation: NICU RN Joined: Jan '07; Posts: 311; Likes: 153

    Lowest I've seen from a lab draw and was correlating to the glucometer was a 3. yikes!
11. 
    Mar 6, '08

    Joined: Mar '08; Posts: 12; Likes: 7

    Lowest I've seen was 10 on an awake but agitated/disoriented patient who was terminal and obviously going to die pretty imminently. Got an amp of D50, brought it up to 30. Got another amp of D50, but by then his sugar was the least of his worries.
12. 
    Mar 7, '08

    Occupation: RN Specialty: 20 year(s) of experience in CVICU-ICU ; Joined: Apr '06; Posts: 353; Likes: 282

    Quote from AmyB

    I thought my yesterday at work was impressive. BS 30. Recheck after 6 oz of oj and 6 sugar packets - BS 28. No order for glucagon, so had to keep on with the oj and sugar. MD was unable to be contacted after numerous attempts. She finally called back 4 hours later asking what the problem was. WTH?!?
    
    Found out at the end of my shift that the resident's BS the previous morning was 29, verified by the lab. No mention in report or anything.
    
    Gotta love LTC.

    
    Just wondering do you not have standing orders for glucagon for a blood sugar less than 50 or 60? What would you have done in this situation if the patient was unable to take any po fluids?
13. 
    Mar 7, '08

    Occupation: LVN in skilled nursing / rehab Specialty: 5 year(s) of experience in LTC, subacute rehab ; From: US ; Joined: Dec '05; Posts: 562; Likes: 408

    Lowest I've heard of was 6... from a diabetic med-surg nurse. He said he remembered feeling funny, then waking up the next day in MICU.
    
    I've yet to see one below 60, but I'm still a student.

Must Read Topics