A lifeline for diabetic patients amidst hospital overcrowding

Diagnostics & MedTech News: The next stage of the world-first virtual emergency department has been launched, aligning with the commitment to enhance care for diabetes patients and alleviate pressure on overwhelmed hospital wards.

Ambulance Victoria paramedics and first responders are now armed with Abbott’s ketone testing kits, enabling them to measure ketone levels in individuals with diabetes. This proactive approach aims to detect and prevent diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a serious and potentially life-threatening complication that arises when the body cannot produce sufficient insulin.

Currently, Australia experiences over 9,000 hospitalisations for DKA annually, making it the leading cause of admission for individuals with diabetes. By equipping paramedics with ketone testing kits, the aim is to assess the risk of diabetic ketoacidosis and determine which patients require hospital care versus those who can be safely managed at home, thus reducing unnecessary visits to emergency departments.

The Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED) Diabetes offers free video consultations for individuals with diabetes facing urgent but non-life-threatening complications. Delivered by diabetes nurse practitioners and emergency clinicians, this service provides critical support to those residing in regional and remote areas where urgent care access is often limited.

Dr Ben Nash, an endocrinologist at Northern Health overseeing the latest addition to the VVED Diabetes service, stated, “Equipping paramedics with ketone testing is a gamechanger. Up until now, most cases of hyperglycaemia attended by paramedics are transported to a hospital. Ketone testing will allow for rapid identification and management of suspected diabetic ketoacidosis, while also identifying those that can be safely managed at home.”

Professor Elif Ekinci, an endocrinologist and Head of the Department of Medicine at the University of Melbourne, said “It was a dream of mine to get a service like this off the ground and to make a tangible difference to people living with diabetes by reducing complications and making care and support more accessible.”

The clinical operations of the diabetes VVED Diabetes are funded by the Victorian Government, complemented by research support from a $915,823 National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) grant.

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