Clinical and laboratory characteristics of the children with diabetic ketoacidosis

Abstract

Aim: Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a serious condition with the highest rates of morbidity and mortality in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1 DM). Hospitalization due to DKA constitutes about 2 to 8 percent of all-cause admissions. About 25% of children with newly diagnosed T1DM present with DKA. In this study, we aimed to evaluate sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of children admitted with DKA.Materials and Method: Records of 490 children admitted with T1DM between January 2003 and October 2008 were retrospectively reviewed and data on sociodemographic, clinical and laboratory characteristics of 163 children with the diagnosis of DKA was investigated in detail.Results: Of 490 children with T1DM, 163 (33.2%) had the diagnosis of DKA and total number of DKA episodes was 190. The recurrence rate was 14.2% and 85% (6 out of 7) of those with recurrent episodes were girls. The mean age was 11.02 4.57 years and DKA episodes were most frequently seen in 10-15 (39.3) age-group. DKA episodes peaked in the periods of January-February-March and children (i.e, 0-5 age group) (54 5%) The mean duration of recoveiy from acidosis was 14.29+/-12.14 hours the mean blood glucose level at baseline was 473.09 +/- 141,07 mg/dI and the mean initial HbAl c level vvas 12.04+/-2.42%, In this approximately six-year-penod, only one patient was lost and the mortality rate was 0,5% (1 tit of 190 episodes).Conclusion: Increasing the knowledge of primary care physicians who see the patients first on DKA and al3plying the DKA treatment protocol more slowly and cautiously in younger children (0-5 age group) will definitely loldver the morbidity and mortalibt of DKA.