Diabetes mellitus

The effective management of diabetes in children and teens requires a daily balancing of insulin administration, food intake, and exercise. To optimize outcome and avoid the neuropathic and microcirculatory effects of hyperglycemia, blood glucose levels should be maintained within a targeted range, which can be accomplished with frequent evaluation and adjustment of the overall treatment regimen. This requires meticulous attention to the disease not only by the patient and family, but by school personnel, baby sisters, coaches, and other individuals responsible for the child's welfare. Diabetes must be diagnosed as early as possible once the signs and symptoms of insulin deficiency have developed to avoid DKA and the associated risks of this acute metabolic disturbance. In addition, careful monitoring of patient progress and assurance that osmolality is reduced gradually without a rapid decrease in the serum sodium level may be required to help prevent cerebral edema associated with DKA. Individuals at risk for autoimmune diabetes should be offered the option of diabetes screening, and if appropriate, entered into diabetes prevention trials. With these aggressive measures, it is possible to decrease the acute complications and the long-term morbidity of this chronic disease and the tremendous negative impact that it has on the health-care system.