Representing a common medical emergency for paramedics, any text which covers the management of diabetes should be high on their reading list. But this book is very much of a mixed bag and one which ultimately focuses on the diabetic patient after they have been admitted to a treatment centre.
As the reader might expect, the underlying pathophysiology receives detailed attention and makes for informative reading. But the additional coverage of the medical condition perhaps strays from a paramedic’s normal scope of practice.
Not all the content is aimed at treating diabetic patients in the prehospital environment, with the management of diabetes in hospital wards and advice for junior doctors reviewing diabetic patients amongst the content. In fact, the authors’ stated intent is to provide ‘...a guide to the management of diabetes in the hospital setting’. Yet, with the mis-management of diabetes cited as a principal reason for hospital admissions, paramedics should certainly take something from this book.
‘This book is very much of a mixed bag ’
The initial recognition and diagnostic phase of diabetic emergencies are well covered and this should be familiar territory for most paramedics.
What they may be less familiar with are the subsequent clinical pathways, which range from additional routine investigations to surgical interventions.
The text addresses a number of related medical conditions and highlights associated complications which may not be immediately attributable to diabetic patients.
Short case studies and summary boxes supplement the detailed text but the use of illustrations could have been more effective—some were quite confusing and not easy to interpret.
The development of new paramedic roles with extended skill sets should ensure this is the sort of book which holds some appeal.
Given its target readership, however, it may not be the definitive text for paramedics responding to diabetic emergencies in the field. A challenging read.