EpiPen and diabetes

[EMTtoBE]

I was talking to an older man (late 50's early 60's) and he has diabetes (dont now if its type 1 or 2) but he said his doctor perscribed him an EpiPen for it..I have never heard this and what would it do for him if true?

thank you

 

[LucidResq]

Are you sure he didn't mean an insulin pen?

 

[EMTtoBE]

I may have heard him wrong but i sure did sound like EpiPen

 

[Sandog]

The epi pen is for an allergic reaction Epi as in Epinephrine.

Maybe the guy has an allergy as well as diabetes.

 

[usafmedic45]

I had a patient one time tell me his doctor put him on Latex for his congestive heart failure. I responded with "I bet that news thrills your wife" and asked if he was sure that it was not Lasix. Patients are notoriously unreliable with this sort of thing.

 

[EMTtoBE]

It could have been insulin pen...but yea patients arent always aware of what they are taking lol..but after reading i found that it can increase blood sugar levels so dunno lol should have used Google before lol thanks though

 

[redcrossemt]

Likely a Glucagon injector. I've seen these a fair number of times.

 

[LucidResq]

Likely a Glucagon injector. I've seen these a fair number of times.

I completely forgot about those. That's a very likely possibility, seeing as glucagon kits are for emergency use like EpiPens. The ones I've seen are not autoinjectors, though.

 

[usafmedic45]

It could have been insulin pen...but yea patients arent always aware of what they are taking lol..but after reading i found that it can increase blood sugar levels so dunno lol should have used Google before lol thanks though

Yes, increases in glucose levels are one of the effects of epinephrine (as part of the "fight or flight" response). However, it is never used clinically for this purpose mostly because of the risk of cardiac events.

 

[MMiz]

I've seen both Insulin pens for hyperglycemia, and Glucagon pens for the treatment of hypoglycemia. The insulin pens looks very similar to the Epi pens. I've never used any of them, but I train on all three once a year.

 

[ajax]

Epipens have one (or sometimes two) possible doses. Insulin pens you dial up the dose - most can do anything from 1 unit to 60 or so; some even have half-units. They come in many colors. Glucagon kits are usually bright red. When you open the kit, you see a huge syringe with liquid and a vial with liquid. To use the glucagon, you inject the syringe into the vial, mix, draw it all back into the syringe, and stab your pt. Nothing at all auto about glucagon.

I would guess he meant an insulin pen, and either you heard him wrong or he said it wrong. But still a good idea to double check allergies.

 

[usafmedic45]

Epipens have one (or sometimes two) possible doses.

Wrong, there are two different doses (0.3 or 0.15 mg) and they come in separate packaging. It's not a "dial-a-dose" feature like you see on the insulin pens.

you see a huge syringe with liquid and a vial with liquid.

It's actually a pretty small syringe since it is intended to be able to be carried in a purse or pocket (I seem to recall it's a short 2 or 3ml syringe) and it contains freeze-dried (or more technically lyophilized) glucagon.

Here's the prescribing information and proper instructions: http://pi.lilly.com/us/rglucagon-ppi.pdf

 

[Aidey]

Wrong, there are two different doses (0.3 or 0.15 mg) and they come in separate packaging. It's not a "dial-a-dose" feature like you see on the insulin pens.

I think they may have meant the double dose Epi pens - One pen with two doses inside of it.

 

[redcrossemt]

I think they may have meant the double dose Epi pens - One pen with two doses inside of it.

The Twin-Ject is the brand that you're thinking of with two doses. I know the second dose is not an auto-injector, I forget if the first is or not.

The Epi-Pen is a different brand and only provides one dose. It is a true auto-injector.

 

[ajax]

The Twin-Ject is the brand that you're thinking of with two doses. I know the second dose is not an auto-injector, I forget if the first is or not.

The Epi-Pen is a different brand and only provides one dose. It is a true auto-injector.

True story, I should have been clearer. I have always referred to any epi that isn't literally drawn up by me or pushed IV as an epipen, since being a very young (8 year old, I think...) first aid-er, whether they were epipens, or twin jects, or ana kits.

And the size of the glucagon syringe is 2 mg, only a little bigger than the second syringe in the twin ject. I stand corrected. I also discovered that my glucagon is out of date.

 

[MrBrown]

And the size of the glucagon syringe is 2 mg, only a little bigger than the second syringe in the twin ject. I stand corrected. I also discovered that my glucagon is out of date.

Interesting, our Glucagon comes in a 1mg reconstitute vial.

 

[MMiz]

Interesting, our Glucagon comes in a 1mg reconstitute vial.

I've only seen it in 1 mg vials.

 

[Aidey]

It's a 2ml syringe though isn't it? Maybe that is what the poster meant.

I have to admit it's been awhile since I looked that closely at a glucagon syringe.

 

[EMTtoBE]

I'm a brand new EMT-B (2 months or so) and I have never heard about the Glucagon pens..but now I do and its good to know ..how often do you come across these in the field?

 

[Aidey]

It's not a pen, it's a kit that includes a vial and a syringe. The glucagon is a powder and has to be reconstituted before it can be used. I've run into several diabetic patients that keep them around. Usually their family/the people they live with are trained in how to use them. I know I've been on a couple calls where the family gave the glucagon and when it didn't work they called 911.