It can be estimated from this survey that, annually, this case-finding methodology could identify 539 (95% CI 249-828) people aged 40 years and over attending our accident and emergency department with previously undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes.
BACKGROUND Drug induced hypoglycaemia is common among diabetics on medications. Lack of awareness on hypoglycaemic symptoms among patients and caregivers could pose delay in its identification and treatment. We wanted to evaluate the awareness of symptoms of hypoglycaemia and knowledge on treatment, among diabetics and their caregivers. METHODS This cross-sectional study was done among Type-2 diabetes patients and their caregivers. Diabetics with history of diabetes of over five years and their caregivers, who fulfilled the selection criteria were included. Their knowledge on the symptoms, signs and treatment of hypoglycaemia were compared. RESULTS Among the 200 studied, there were 100 patients and 100 caregivers. Among diabetic patients, 38% had average awareness about symptoms of hypoglycaemia, whereas 24% of caregivers were poorly aware. Among the diabetic patients, 40% had received diabetic education from their clinician. For the management of hypoglycaemia, 38% patients felt glucose powder or sugar with water as an immediate measure; whereas 39 % caregivers chose water. Majority of patients (60%) and caregivers (67%) considered medical help to be the right option for managing hypoglycaemia. CONCLUSIONS Caregivers were poorly aware about symptoms of hypoglycaemia and as the literacy levels of subjects increased, awareness also incresed.
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