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[Severe hypoglycemia in children and adolescents suffering from type 1 diabetes mellitus]

Adriana Cosmescu1, Doina Felea, Silvia Mătăsaru

  • 1Facultatea de Medicină, Disciplina Medicină de Familie, Universitatea de Medicina Si Farmacie "Gr.T. Popa" Iaşi .

Revista Medico-Chirurgicala a Societatii De Medici Si Naturalisti Din Iasi
|March 10, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Severe hypoglycemia affects over a quarter of children with type 1 diabetes, often due to delayed carbohydrate intake. Continuous education is key to preventing this dangerous complication.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Endocrinology
  • Metabolic Disorders

Background:

  • Severe hypoglycemia is a significant concern for children with type 1 diabetes and their families.
  • Diabetic ketoacidosis and severe hypoglycemia are life-threatening medical emergencies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the incidence of severe hypoglycemia in pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes.
  • To identify the primary causes and risk factors associated with severe hypoglycemia episodes.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 84 children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes was studied over 12 months.
  • Data collected included hypoglycemia occurrence, risk factors, age, disease duration, insulin therapy, and metabolic control (HbA1c).

Main Results:

  • 27.3% (23 out of 84) of patients experienced at least one severe hypoglycemia episode.
  • The most common cause was delayed carbohydrate intake (47%), followed by high physical effort (19%) and excessive insulin (14%).
  • Episodes occurred across a range of metabolic control levels (HbA1c 6.4%-9.1%).

Conclusions:

  • Delayed carbohydrate intake is the leading preventable cause of severe hypoglycemia in this pediatric diabetic population.
  • Continuous medical education for diabetic patients is crucial for preventing acute metabolic complications like severe hypoglycemia.
Abstract

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