“What can the emergency room do for high blood sugar?”

Depending on how high the blood sugar level is, several options may be offered, including, but not limited to: (A) Diabetic diet counseling, plus regular aerobic exercise (B) Weight loss counseling, if indicated (C) Oral medication, or insulin, if indicated.

If a person with a high glucose level is feeling well and there is no underlying illness causing the high glucose the Emergency Department can give additional insulin which the person can give at home. If that person is otherwise ill and is unable to eat because of the illness then the emergency department can provide intravenous fluids and treat the illness. If the reason the person is ill is because of severe hyperglycemia; then the person may require intravenous insulin and fluids until the glucose levels are safe.

1st: evaluate the reason why the blood sugar is high, and treat the blood sugars accordingly. 2nd: rule out diabetes ketoacidosis.