If a person with diabetes suddenly shakes, breaks into a cold sweat or slurs speech, first give 15 grams of sugar and recheck after 15 minutes
- Top value
- Evidence A
- Buys life
- Free
- Takes minutes
- No willpower
In a real emergency, call 911 first, then read this.
In plain words
First have them take 15 grams of sugar; sugar cubes or a small carton of juice will do. Test again after 15 minutes, and if it is still low, do it once more. A blood sugar below 3.0 mmol/L is the level medicine takes seriously as low blood sugar. When it reaches the point where someone else has to help, it can be fatal. Don't feed a person who is not fully conscious even one mouthful, because it can go down the windpipe. Call 120 (China's ambulance number) directly.
- Cost
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Free. Carry a few sugar cubes or a small carton of juice.
- What you get
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A blood sugar below 3.0 mmol/L is clinically significant low blood sugar. A change in consciousness or behavior that needs someone else's help is severe low blood sugar, and it can be fatal
- Notes
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Don't feed a person who is not fully conscious, because it can go down the windpipe; call 120 (China's ambulance number) directly. The same standard also advises that people who use insulin, and people prone to low blood sugar, should have glucagon on hand. The original reads: "All individuals treated with insulin or who are at high risk of hypoglycemia...should be prescribed glucagon." A nasal spray or a pre-filled injection is easier to use than one that has to be mixed on the spot. These steps are by default meant for yourself or a family member with diabetes, and the sugar you carry is also for them.
- Evidence grade
- A : Specific numbers from meta-analyses, large cohorts or randomized trials; for law and policy, the statute or official text.
- Sources
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- 美国糖尿病学会 (2025). 糖尿病诊疗标准 2025·第 6 章 血糖目标与低血糖. Diabetes Care：分级「Level 1: Glucose <70 mg/dL (<3.9 mmol/L) and ≥54 mg/dL (≥3.0 mmol/L)」「Level 2: Glucose <54 mg/dL (<3.0 mmol/L)」「Level 3: A severe event characterized by altered mental and/or physical status requiring assistance for treatment of hypoglycemia, irrespective of glucose level」
- 处理「For most individuals, 15 g carbohydrates should be ingested」「Fifteen minutes after initial treatment, repeat the treatment if hypoglycemia persists」. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc25-S006
Translated from the Chinese original. Original book, section 13, tip 17. Content may be out of date and rules differ by place. When you actually deal with an agency, a doctor or a court, follow what local officials, doctors and lawyers tell you. Disclaimer