Diabetes Not Monitored In Hospital
When someone with diabetes is admitted to hospital, it is important their condition is carefully monitored and controlled – just as it would if the patient were at home.
Unfortunately this care is not always achieved and a patient's diabetes spirals out of control while they are in hospital. If this causes the patient to suffer adverse complications, such as eye damage or amputation, there could be grounds for a medical negligence compensation claim.
To find out whether you could claim compensation for poor diabetes care, please get in touch with us. During a free initial consultation we will let you know if you have been the victim of medical error.
Type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes
There are two different types of diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes (often called juvenile diabetes) normally develops during adolescence. It cannot be prevented and it is a chronic condition, meaning it cannot be cured. Of course this may change in the future with medical innovation, but for now at least the patient will have diabetes for the rest of their life.
Type 2 diabetes normally develops later in life, although scores of younger children and adults are now suffering from the condition. Type 2 diabetes is largely associated with lifestyle and diet, with most cases being caused by obesity. Therefore the condition can be prevented with exercise and healthy living. Sometimes it can even be reversed with exercise and diet, particularly if significant weight loss is achieved within the first four years of diagnosis. This means that type 2 diabetes is not necessarily a life-long problem, although it is for some.
What is diabetes?
So what exactly is diabetes?
Diabetes is when your pancreas does not product any or enough insulin, or the insulin it does produce does not work properly. Insulin is a hormone that moves glucose from the blood and into the body's cells. The cells need glucose for energy, and without it we would not be able to function.
Glucose comes from the liver and from carbohydrates that we ingest. It is vital that it is transported from the blood to the cells, because as mentioned above it provides us with energy. Furthermore, without this process the glucose levels in the blood will be very unstable, something which is fact very dangerous.
Persistently high blood glucose levels can lead to nerve damage, blood vessel and organ damage. This can manifest in injuries such as vision loss, sexual dysfunction and poor circulation. Very low blood glucose levels is also very dangerous, potentially resulting in brain damage and death.
Controlling diabetes
In order to prevent these complications, diabetes must be properly controlled. The method of treatment will vary depending upon a patient's condition.
Usually those with type 1 diabetes must inject insulin regularly. This gives the body the insulin it needs to move the glucose from the blood and into the cells. Blood glucose levels must also be frequently checked using a blood glucose monitor machine. This allows the individual to check whether their glucose levels are stable.
Those with type 2 diabetes can normally ingest insulin tablets, rather than having to use injections. Some with mild type 2 diabetes may not need any medication, and may instead be able to control their blood glucose levels through diet. Again, glucose levels should be regularly reviewed with a machine. Changes in diet and medication can then be made according to the results.
Failure to control diabetes in hospital
When someone with diabetes is admitted to hospital, their ability to control their condition will largely be taken out of their hands. Instead the patient will have to rely upon medical practitioners to provide their medication and monitor their condition – particularly if the patient is seriously unwell and does not have normal mental capacity.
However there are times when this standard of care is not met. There are examples of patients going into hospital and not receiving their insulin, and/or not having their blood glucose levels regularly monitored. As a result their diabetes spirals out of control, causing it to either drop to a dangerously low level, or rise to a dangerously high level.
Consequently a patient who has been admitted to hospital for a non-critical illness falls seriously unwell, something which could have been avoided with better medical care.
This happened in 2013 when staff at the Royal Cornwall Hospital decided to monitor a patient's blood glucose levels every six hours, rather than every two hours. The patient, who had originally been admitted for a chest infection, fell into a coma due to low blood glucose levels. She never regained consciousness and died of brain damage.
Other complications that could potentially arise include:
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Nerve damage
- Loss of vision
- Kidney disease
- Poor circulation, which can be associated with foot ulcers and amputation
Hospital failed to control diabetes
If you or your loved one has been harmed by poor hospital care, you might want to talk to a solicitor about making a claim.
It is the duty of hospital staff to treat and monitor a patient's diabetes during their admission, even if he/she is in hospital for a completely unrelated condition. A failure to do so will amount to a breach of duty. If this causes a patient serious harm, there will be grounds for a medical negligence claim.
A solicitor who specialises in this area of law will be able to tell you whether you can make a claim. If the case relates to your loved one but he/she has died or has lost mental capacity, you can bring a claim on their behalf.
Expert legal advice for diabetes claim
To talk to a medical negligence solicitor about your potential claim, please get in touch with us at Glynns Solicitors.
We offer everyone a free initial enquiry, so you can discuss the case with a solicitor completely free of charge. After this enquiry you will be told whether or not there are grounds for a claim.
Medical negligence claims must be made within three years of the event, so we advise that you do not delay when seeking legal assistance.
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