It is time to review low blood sugar emergency plans: Make sure your child with diabetes is safe at school

(BPT) - As the back-to-school season approaches, parents and caregivers of children with diabetes should review emergency plans for treating low blood sugar emergencies. With children spending a lot of time at school, it’s important to have a good plan in place — so your child and those around them have the tools they need to treat low blood sugar quickly and safely. It is important to review and update your child's diabetes medical management plan at the start of every school year. This includes making sure you have a plan in place for low blood sugar emergencies.

Once you have reviewed and updated your child’s low blood sugar emergency treatment plan, it’s important to work with the school health team to create a supportive environment that is at the ready. Hypoglycemia treatment plans should educate school staff on recognizing signs and symptoms, as well as how to respond to them. It should clearly outline the proper use of each tool in the emergency kit, such as glucose tabs, juice, soda and glucagon, and when to use them.

When it comes to glucagon, the type in your child's kit matters. Ready-to-use glucagon treatment options enable simpler administration during very low blood sugar emergencies. Your child may need help from an untrained bystander, making it critical to have a tool anyone can administer.

Gvoke HypoPen^® is designed for such situations, with 99% of trained and untrained users successfully administering it in a study with simulated emergency conditions.[1] In just two simple steps, it brings very low blood sugar levels back to normal quickly and safely.[2]^* Make sure your child’s treatment plan includes Gvoke HypoPen^®, the ready-to-use rescue pen that anyone can administer.[1],[2]

“I want my son's school to be able to take good care of him while he's in their hands. That's why I've trained them on how to use Gvoke^® for severe lows.” — Nicole, mother to a son who lives with type 1 diabetes.

*People are considered to be out of a low blood sugar event when their blood sugar rises to 70 mg/dL or higher.[3]

INDICATION AND SAFETY SUMMARY

GVOKE is a prescription medicine used to treat very low blood sugar (severe hypoglycemia) in adults and kids with diabetes ages 2 years and above. It is not known if GVOKE is safe and effective in children under 2 years of age.

WARNINGS

Do not use GVOKE if:

• you have a tumor in the gland on top of your kidneys (adrenal gland), called a pheochromocytoma.
• you have a tumor in your pancreas called an insulinoma.
• you are allergic to glucagon or any other inactive ingredient in GVOKE.

GVOKE MAY CAUSE SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS, INCLUDING:

High blood pressure. GVOKE can cause high blood pressure in certain people with tumors in their adrenal glands.

Low blood sugar. GVOKE can cause low blood sugar in certain people with tumors in their pancreas called insulinomas by making too much insulin in their bodies.

Serious allergic reaction. Call your doctor or get medical help right away if you have a serious allergic reaction including:

• rash
• difficulty breathing
• low blood pressure

COMMON SIDE EFFECTS

The most common side effects of GVOKE in adults include:

• nausea
• vomiting
• swelling at the injection site
• headache

The most common side effects of GVOKE in children include:

• nausea
• low blood sugar
• high blood sugar
• vomiting
• abdominal pain
• headache
• pain or redness at the injection site
• itching

These are not all the possible side effects of GVOKE. For more information, ask your doctor. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You are encouraged to report side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

BEFORE USING

Before using GVOKE, tell your doctor about all your medical conditions, including if you:

• have adrenal gland problems
• have a tumor in your pancreas
• have not had food or water for a long time (prolonged fasting or starvation)
• have low blood sugar that does not go away (chronic hypoglycemia)
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant
• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

HOW TO USE

• Read the detailed Instructions for Use that come with GVOKE.
• Use GVOKE exactly how your healthcare provider tells you to use it
• Make sure your relatives, close friends, and caregivers know where you store GVOKE and how to use it the right way before you need their help.
• Act quickly. Having very low blood sugar for a period may be harmful.
• Your healthcare provider will tell you how and when to use GVOKE.
• After giving GVOKE, your caregiver should call for emergency medical help right away.
• If you do not respond after 15 minutes, your caregiver may give you another dose, if available. Tell your healthcare provider each time you use GVOKE. Low blood sugar may happen again after receiving an injection of GVOKE. Your diabetes medicine may need to be changed.

HOW TO STORE

• Keep GVOKE in the foil pouch until you are ready to use it.
• Store GVOKE at temperatures between 68°F and 77°F.
• Do not keep it in the refrigerator or let it freeze.

Keep GVOKE and all medicines out of the reach of children.

For more information, call 1-877-937-4737 or go to www.GvokeGlucagon.com.

Please see patient information here.