June 27, 2003
Daily Care
Question from Norfolk, United Kingdom:
My father collapsed about four weeks ago and was diagnosed with diabetes resulting from steroids treatment for a brain tumor. He was taken into hospital, given insulin by drip and the steroids stopped. He has now been discharged from hospital and instructed to continue taking insulin by injection. How will we know if the blood sugar levels have reverted back to a level at which his body can control without the injections?
Answer:
You will have to follow the blood sugar trends. If the sugars go below 80 mg/dl [4.4 mmol/L], this would be enough to trigger a phone call to the physician to lower the insulin dose. These things usually go down over days. However, I suggest you monitor his sugar two or more times a day to help with the recognition of falling blood sugars.
JTL
