Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34933884›Full record

Observational studyCMAJ open

Hypoglycemia requiring paramedic assistance among adults in southwestern Ontario, Canada: a population-based retrospective cohort study.

Selina L Liu, Melanie P Columbus, Michael Peddle, Jeffrey L Mahon, Tamara Spaic

Open access · diamondAbstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in CMAJ open. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
0.1field-weighted citation impact, top 45% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed, 1 citations in OpenAlex.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Selina L LiuDivision of Endocrinology and Metabolism (Liu, Mahon, Spaic), Department of Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University; St. Joseph's Health Care London (Liu, Mahon, Spaic); Division of Emergency Medicine (Columbus, Peddle), Department of Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, Ont. selina.liu@sjhc.london.on.ca.
Melanie P ColumbusDivision of Endocrinology and Metabolism (Liu, Mahon, Spaic), Department of Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University; St. Joseph's Health Care London (Liu, Mahon, Spaic); Division of Emergency Medicine (Columbus, Peddle), Department of Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, Ont.
Michael PeddleDivision of Endocrinology and Metabolism (Liu, Mahon, Spaic), Department of Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University; St. Joseph's Health Care London (Liu, Mahon, Spaic); Division of Emergency Medicine (Columbus, Peddle), Department of Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, Ont.
Jeffrey L MahonDivision of Endocrinology and Metabolism (Liu, Mahon, Spaic), Department of Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University; St. Joseph's Health Care London (Liu, Mahon, Spaic); Division of Emergency Medicine (Columbus, Peddle), Department of Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, Ont.
Tamara SpaicDivision of Endocrinology and Metabolism (Liu, Mahon, Spaic), Department of Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University; St. Joseph's Health Care London (Liu, Mahon, Spaic); Division of Emergency Medicine (Columbus, Peddle), Department of Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, Ont.
St Joseph's Health Care · CAWestern University · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPeople with diabetes mellitus commonly experience hypoglycemia, but they may not necessarily present to hospital after severe hypoglycemia requiring paramedic assistance. We sought to describe the incidence and characteristics of calls for hypoglycemia requiring paramedic assistance among adults in southwestern Ontario, Canada, and to determine predictors of hospital transport.

methodsThis population-based retrospective cohort study used data extracted from ambulance call reports (ACRs) of 8 paramedic services of the Southwest Ontario Regional Base Hospital Program from January 2008 to June 2014. We described calls in which treatment for hypoglycemia was administered, summarized the incidence of hypoglycemia calls and performed logistic regression to determine predictors of hospital transport.

resultsOut of 470 467 ACRs during the study period, 9185 paramedic calls occurred in which hypoglycemia treatment was administered to an adult (mean age 60.2 yr, 56.8% male, 81.1% with documented diabetes). Refusal of hospital transport occurred in 2243 (24.4%) of calls. Documented diabetes diagnosis (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0.82, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.69-0.96), higher capillary blood glucose (adjusted OR 0.31, 95% CI 0.22-0.44) and overnight calls (adjusted OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.72-0.91) were associated with lower odds of hospital transport. Higher-acuity calls (adjusted OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.58-2.66) were associated with higher odds of transport. The estimated annual incidence rate of hypoglycemia requiring paramedic assistance was 108 per 10 000 people with diabetes per year.

interpretationHypoglycemia requiring paramedic assistance in southwestern Ontario is common, and close to 25% of calls do not result in hospital transport. Physicians managing diabetes care may be unaware of patients' hypoglycemia requiring paramedic care, suggesting a potential gap in follow-up care; we suggest that paramedics play an important role in identifying those at high recurrence risk and communicating with their care providers.

Indexed as

Emergency Medical TechniciansAdultAgedAmbulancesComorbidityDiabetes MellitusEmergency Medical ServicesFemaleGlucagonGlucoseHumansHypoglycemiaIncidenceLogistic ModelsMaleMiddle AgedGlucagonGlucoseSweetening Agents

Identifiers

PMID34933884
PMCPMC8695532
OpenAlexW4200585876

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.