What is Glucagon Emergency Kit?
(See the Original Document here)
The Glucagon Emergency Kit is prescription medicine. It treats diabetic patients with very low blood sugar (severe hypoglycemia). Glucagon injections serve as an emergency antihyperglycemic medication and gastrointestinal motility inhibitor, treating severe hypoglycemia in diabetic patients of all ages. It also serves as a diagnostic tool, temporarily stopping gastrointestinal motility in adult patients undergoing radiologic examinations.
What are the signs of hypoglycemia?
Early symptoms include sweating, restlessness, drowsiness, depressed mood, dizziness, tingling in the hands, feet, lips, or tongue, sleep disturbances, irritability, irregular heartbeat (palpitation), abnormal behavior, anxiety, lightheadedness, tremor, unsteady movement, blurred vision, inability to concentrate, hunger, personality changes, slurred speech, and headache.
If you don’t treat hypoglycemia right away, it could worsen.
Signs of severe hypoglycemia are confusion, unconsciousness, seizures, and death.
- Show your family members and others where you keep your Glucagon Emergency Kit for Low Blood Sugar, as well as how to use it correctly.
- Call for emergency medical help right after you use glucagon.
- Do not share your glucose syringes or needles with another person. You can give others a severe infection or get a serious infection from yourself.
- Use the prefilled syringe that comes with your Glucagon Emergency Kit for Low Blood Sugar exclusively for Glucagon administration. Do not use glucagon syringes to inject other medicines.
How do I store the Glucagon Emergency Kit?
Store glucose in a dry, clean area away from light.
- Maintain room temperature between 68° to 77°F (20° to 25°C).
- Review the expiration date on your vial of Glucagon.
- Never freeze glucose.
- Keep glucose out of the light.
What does the Glucagon Emergency Kit contain?
- For injection, one vial contains 1 mg of glucose.
- There is one prefilled glass syringe with an attached needle that contains 1 mL of sterile water for injection.
- Throw away any unused glucose.
- Glucagon, when mixed with water, is clear and colorless. If the solution is milky or contains particles, do not use glucose.
What are the precautions when using the Glucagon Emergency Kit?
Do not use glucagon if the patient has any of the following conditions:
- A tumor in the gland on top of the kidneys (the adrenal gland). This tumor is called pheochromocytoma.
- A tumor in the pancreas, called insulinoma.
- Are you allergic to glucose, lactose, or any of its ingredients?
Tell your doctor if you:
- have kidney problems.
- have pancreas problems.
- have gone without food or water for an extended period of time (long-term fasting or starvation).
- suffer from chronic hypoglycemia, which is a persistently low blood sugar level.
- have heart problems.
- Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant?
- Are you breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed?
- Taking vitamins and herbal supplements.
Glucagon side effects
- High blood pressure.
- Low blood sugar.
- For severe allergic reactions, call your doctor.
- If you experience a rash, difficulty breathing, or low blood pressure, it’s important to seek medical attention immediately.
The most common side effects of glucagon include the following:
- swelling at the injection site.
- redness at the injection site
- vomiting
- nausea
- decreased blood pressure.
- weakness
- headache
- dizziness
- pale skin
- diarrhea
- Sleepiness or drowsiness
Remember that regular physical exercise is crucial to treating diabetes or managing prediabetes, along with your diet planning, weight management, and medications. Because your cells become more responsive to insulin while you are active, your blood glucose, also known as blood sugar, can be lowered more successfully. Take your medications regularly and follow up with your healthcare specialist.
