Under a new Utah law, children and teens with diabetes can take their glucagon to school with them and parents can ask the school to designate volunteers to be trained to administer the hormone in the event of a severe low-blood-sugar reaction.

The 2006 Legislature passed SB8 to address a potentially serious problem faced by as many as 2,400 Utah children with diabetes who may need the medication if they become hypoglycemic — a condition marked by low blood sugar.

Severe hypoglycemic reaction may include unconsciousness or seizures, so it's important for schools to see that a couple of people are trained to administer the injection. Brain cells need blood glucose to survive, so hypoglycemia can be extremely dangerous. With less severe reactions, parents may choose to allow their child to administer the medication himself, if he's responsible enough, says Karen Roylance, Utah state school nurse consultant.

Glucagon is a fast-acting hormone that raises blood glucose levels. But it needs to be administered right away, Roylance says.

A doctor must prescribe the medication, and the parents must fill out forms for it to be available during school hours. If the child keeps the medication in her backpack, for instance, the form would tell staffers that's where to find it if she were unable to tell them herself.

The forms are now available and the state's school nurses are just gearing up to train volunteers at the schools where children have been identified as having prescriptions for glucagon, according to Roylance.

The school's volunteers and the school staff are by law released from any liability in conjunction with administering the hormone.

Glucagon may cause nausea and some vomiting, says Roylance, but "it's still benign and pretty nonthreatening in terms of overdose problems. It's really relatively safe," she says.

Just as important for the school nurses is teaching volunteers and other adults at the schools how to recognize the signs and symptoms of a hypoglycemic reaction. "We try to teach them how to help in the care of students so they don't get into that situation," she says.

In case of a school-related hypoglycemic reaction, the most important thing is administering the glucagon and calling 911 immediately. It takes about 10-20 minutes for the hormone to work, but a trip to the hospital is crucial, Roylance says.

Hypoglycemia occurs when blood sugar levels are lower than they should be, something that may be triggered by late or skipped meals or snacks or from more exercise than planned. Moderate symptoms may include sweating, hunger, dizziness, headache, confusion and difficulty concentrating. Those symptoms can escalate to include unconsciousness, seizure and inability to swallow.

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E-mail: lois@desnews.com