Type 1 Diabetes: Severe Low Blood Sugar At School

Key wellness/self-care + emergency response strategies (Type 1 diabetes: severe low blood sugar at school)

Act immediately—don’t wait

• Low blood sugar that’s treated right away is usually not alarming.
• If it isn’t treated promptly, it can become severe and turn into an emergency.

Recognize severe hypoglycemia symptoms

Watch for:

• Trouble answering questions, sounding confused
• Slurred speech
• Drowsiness, loss of consciousness
• Seizure

Emergency steps to take (if severe low blood sugar occurs)

• Stay with the student
• Place them in the recovery position
• Call 911 (or have someone call)
• Do not put anything in their mouth
  • Food or liquid can cause choking if the student is not fully alert
• Contact the student’s parents
• Give glucagon
  • A hormone that raises blood sugar
  • Given as a nasal spray
  • Administered by trained staff or first responders
  • Safety emphasis: you cannot harm the student by giving glucagon
• Wait for effect
  • Glucagon may take 5–20 minutes to work and for the student to wake up
• Support recovery
  • The student may feel sick or vomit
  • Once alert, check blood sugar
  • Give juice or fast-acting sugar
  • If able to eat, offer a carbohydrate snack (e.g., crackers, granola bar)

Prevention through planning

• Carefully follow the student’s diabetes care plan
• Knowing what to do helps prevent severe episodes from occurring at school.

Presenters / Sources

• No specific presenter or source named in the provided subtitles.