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Hypoglycemia is a condition characterized by abnormally low blood glucose (blood sugar) levels, usually less than 70 mg/dL. This condition is recognized to be one of the main restrictions in achieving normal control in type 1 diabetes. Historically, the risk of hypoglycemia has been considered lower in type 2 diabetes, however, with the increasing use of insulin to treat type...

Recently, an article written by Prashant Dedhia was shared on LinkedIn titled, Don’t sell a product, sell a whole new way of thinking. The mantra of selling an idea instead of a product is a concept often overlooked in healthcare. In order to sell innovative technology to executives, you have to not only change what those people think, but how...

When it comes to glucose control, glucose variability, and the risk for hypoglycemia, often times they can be related. Even though reducing hyperglycemia and leveling HbA1c values of seven percent or less result in decreased risk of complications, the risk for hypoglycemia increases when glycemic control is tightened. Thus, hypoglycemia has been viewed as the barricade to tight glycemic control....

Strategies to Minimize Risk of Hypoglycemia We addressed the patient risks of severe hypoglycemia in the part 1 of this series and followed it with the clinical consequences of severe hypoglycemia in part 2. After looking at both scenarios, you may be thinking, how can hypoglycemia be treated and what can be done to minimize the risk of hypoglycemia?’ The...

Clinical Consequences of Severe Hypoglycemia In part 1 of this series, we described a scenario of a patient receiving intensive insulin therapy, and the most frequent critical complication to follow: hypoglycemia. Not only are there patient risks of severe hypoglycemia, there are clinical consequences as well. The clinical effects of hypoglycemia include: Hospital admissions – In a prospective study of...

Patient Risks of Severe Hypoglycemia Edward Mason is an 18-year old male with a height of 175.26 cm (5’9) and a weight of 72.57 kg (160 lbs). Edward is admitted to the emergency department with severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and weakness. He is hyperglycemic with no prior history of diabetes. After examination, Edward is diagnosed with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)...

According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), pregnant women who have never had diabetes before but who have high blood glucose (sugar) levels during pregnancy are said to have gestational diabetes. According to a 2014 analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the prevalence of gestational diabetes among U.S. women is as high as 9.2%. What causes this condition is not known, however,...

According to the American Diabetes Association, hypoglycemia is a condition characterized by abnormally low blood glucose (blood sugar) levels, usually less than 70 mg/dL. Hypoglycemia can be caused from too much insulin, inadequate food intake or poor timing of meals, or exercise without adequate adjustments. There are three categories of hypoglycemia: mild, moderate and severe. Mild Hypoglycemia Mild hypoglycemia includes...

With diabetes rates unfortunately on the rise, so are the myths surrounding the disease. Anyone involved with diabetes patient care must be able to separate fact from fiction.  Below, are some of the common truths and misconceptions about diabetes. Today, most patients with diabetes go on to live normal lives. False. Per the American Diabetes Association, every year there are...

Another year is quickly approaching. Thanksgiving is upon us and we wanted to dedicate this blog post to our team at Monarch Medical Technologies. Every year, the Charlotte Business Journal searches for the “Best Places to Work” in the Charlotte region. This award recognizes companies that have mastered their goals in tandem with every employee’s happiness and well-being. The Charlotte...

Prior to 1921, little was known about the function of the pancreas, and a diagnosis of diabetes almost invariably led to mortality. As insulin enjoyed wider therapeutic application, patient outcomes dramatically improved, and this was not limited to those with diabetes. According to an article on the history of insulin by Michael Hrynyk and Ronald Neufeld, “Insulin’s role in wound...

While the amount of hospital resources wasted on medical supplies is relatively easy to calculate, the more insidious expenses – clinical personnel costs – are more difficult to quantify. However, when a Roanoke, Virginia hospital set out to improve patient outcomes by standardizing insulin dosing protocols, the facility discovered substantial savings by mechanizing this process....

Since DKA is a disease state of hyperglycemia, where blood sugars are out of control and mortality is possible, timely and accurate response is critical. ...

Anyone who has ever entered a phrase in the search box of Google and seconds later received direct links to millions of highly-specific references to that phrase, has experienced the power of algorithms. Algorithms are also used in almost every service and product which requires data computation – social networks such as Facebook, online retailers such as Amazon, smart phones...

This week is National Health IT Week. September 26-30 is dedicated to raising awareness and recognizing the value of health IT in innovation, expanding access to care, expansion of economic opportunities and job creation, and making communities healthy. The team at Monarch Medical Technologies is using each day this week to describe one of the five ways we are committed...