DIABETES

and
STAR OF
LIFE
Submitted to Jess B. Saldaan
Submitted by Elgin Jan A. Magkachi
Diabetes
Defined as the lack of or ineffective action of insulin. Without insulin, cells begin to starve because
insulin is needed to allow glucose to enter and nourish the cells

•PATHOPHYSIOLOGY

Diabetes Mellitus is a disorder of glucose metabolism, such that the body has an impaired
ability to get glucose into cells to be used for energy. In patients with diabetes has either impaired
insulin production or not enough functional receptors on the surface of the cells for the insulin to
bind to.

Glucose cannot get into the cell, the cell goes unfed and the level of glucose in the blood
remains and continues to rise.

TYPES OF DIABETES

A. DIABETES MELLITUS TYPE 1

Type 1 diabetes is an auto immune disorder in which the individual’s immune system
produces antibodies against the pancreatic beta cells. Essentially this disease is the
missing pancreatic hormone insulin. Insulin is the key to the door of the cell. Without
insulin, glucose cannot enter the cell, and the cell cannot produce energy

People do not inherit Type 1 Diabetes itself but rather a genetic predisposition, or
tendency, toward development of type 1 diabetes. The Genetic tendency has been found
in people with certain Human Leukocyte Antigen(HLA) types. Onset of this disorder is
usually happens from early childhood through the fourth decade of life.

Patients with Type 1 Diabetes cannot survive without insulin therefore they must obtain
insulin from an external source.

B. DIABETES MELLITUS TYPE 2

Type 2 diabetes is caused by resistance to the effects of insulin at the cellular level. These
intracellular reactions are diminished making insulin less effective at stimulating glucose
uptake by the tissues and at regulating glucose release by the liver.

Obesity predisposes patients to Type 2 Diabetes. It is often diagnosed at a yearly medical

examination. In some cases the physician discovers Type 2 diabetes when treating the
patient for a complaint related to high blood glucose such as recurrent infection, change
in vision, or numbness in the feet.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

1. CLASSIC SYPMTOMS OF UNCONTROLLED DIABETES (“3 P’s”)

a. Polyuria = frequent urination
b. Polydipsia = increase in fluid consumption
c. Polyphagia = increased food intake or severe hunger

2. Hyperglycemia = High blood glucose levels

3. Hypoglycemia = Low blood glucose levels

TREATMENT

A. TYPE 1
1. Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion
2. Continuous blood glucose monitoring

B. TYPE 2
1. Diet modification
2. Exercise
3. Non-Insulin Type Oral medications
4. Supplemental Insulin

REFERENCE:

Pollak,A.N., Barnes,L., Ciotola, J. A., Gulli, B. & American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. (2011).
Emergency care and transportation of the sick and injured (10th ed., Vol. 1 pp.621-625).
Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett

Pollak, A. N., Edgerly, D., McKenna, K. D., & Vitberg, D. A. & American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.
(2017). Emergency care and transportation of the sick and injured (11th ed., Vol. 1 pp. 727-
723). Wall Street, Burlington MA: Jones & Bartlett

Brunner, L. S., Suddarth, D. S., & Smeltzer, S. C. O. (2010). Brunner & Suddarth's textbook of medical-
surgical nursing (12th ed. pp 1197-1199. ). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
STAR OF LIFE
It is appropriate that Emergency Medical Services (EMS) be distinctively identified for the benefit of not
only EMS providers but also their patients and the general public. Recognizing the need for a symbol
that would represent this critical public service and be easily recognized by all, the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) created the "Star of Life" and holds priority rights to the use of
this registered certification mark.

Adapted from the personal Medical Identification Symbol of the American Medical Association, each bar
on the "Star of Life" represents one of six EMS functions. The functions include:

1. Detection,
2. Reporting,
3. Response,
4. On-Scene Care,
5. Care in Transit,
6. Transfer to Definitive Care.

The serpent and staff in the symbol portray the staff of

Asclepius, an ancient Greek physician deified as the god of
medicine. Overall, the staff represents medicine and healing,
with the skin-shedding serpent being indicative of renewal.

The "Star of Life" has become synonymous with emergency medical care around the globe. This symbol
can be seen as a means of identification on ambulances, emergency medical equipment, patches or
apparel worn by EMS providers and materials such as books, pamphlets, manuals, reports, and
publications that either have a direct application to EMS or were generated by an EMS organization. It
can also be found on road maps and highway signs indicating the location of or access to qualified
emergency medical care.

REFERENCE

Star of Life. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ems.gov/staroflife.html