Non-invasive detection of hypoglycaemia using a novel, fully biocompatible and patient friendly alarm system

Over a third of dogs living with diabetic people have been reported to show various behavioural changes during their owners’ hypoglycaemic episodes.6 The three dogs reported here take canine glucose sensing to a new level of sophistication. All were clearly able to sense hypoglycaemia accurately under circumstances when the patients themselves were initially unaware of falling glucose levels. Formal calculations of sensitivity and specificity are not possible, but each dog showed her specific behaviours only when the patient had documented hypoglycaemia. Susie and Natt deserve special mention because they were able to detect nocturnal episodes in their owners and then undertook further corrective action by waking them to eat—thus going further than any available glucose sensor.

Read more here

• http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/321/7276/1565

In alarm state–

In take action state–

The research was conducted in part by

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Technorati Tags: diabetes, dog, alarm, hypoglycaemia, BMJ, elderly, aging, health

New international consensus on cardiopulmonary resuscitation

American Heart Association emergency cardiovascular care guidelines 2005 are now available here, offering lay rescuers and healthcare providers recommendations for treating cardiovascular emergencies. The importance of effective chest compressions also is stressed.

The European guidelines have been adopted by the Resuscitation Council (UK) without modification (www.resus.org.uk).

The Resuscitation Council (UK) now recommends:

For adults:

* CPR with a chest compression to ventilation ratio of 30:2
* no initial ventilations before starting compressions
* when professional help is delayed for more than 4-5 minutes, one option is to give compressions for up to three minutes before attempting defibrillation
* compressions for two minutes after defibrillation
* if coordinated rhythm is not restored by defibrillation, second and further shocks should be given only after additional cycles of chest compressions

For children:

* solo lay rescuers should give CPR with a compression to ventilation ratio of 30:2
* two rescuers (usually healthcare professionals) should use a ratio of 15:2

For neonates:

? will almost certainly be anoxic, so still need a ratio of 3:1″