A review of a self-diagnosed diabetic case study

The following case study focuses on a 26-year-old male patient resident in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) who called an emergency ambulance for himself complaining of ‘sugar problems’. The ambulance arrived and, using a standard procedure, the two person crew carried out an assessment of the patient and obtained a thorough history (Caroline, 2008). The treatment outcome was then performed using a step-wise decision-making technique, in accordance with clinical operations.

On the arrival of the ambulance crew, a general impression of the patient was formed. The patient appeared well, and was sat up in a chair, alert. The initial assessment indicated the patient to be in a stable condition with no immediately obvious problem. Vital signs measured and recorded as part of the assessment included: oxygen saturations, cardiac monitoring and blood glucose levels, all of which were within normal parameters. A more in-depth assessment was then performed as no immediate life threats were discovered (Caroline, 2008). The patient's body mass index (BMI) was approximated at 30, by weight: 210 lbs, and height: 70 in. The BMI correlates with direct measures of body fat, such as underwater weighing. However, these methods are not available in the pre-hospital environment; therefore, this measurement is a simple alternative (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014).