A diabetes awareness campaign prevents diabetic ketoacidosis in children at their initial presentation with type 1 diabetes

Glycosmedia, 2012

Methods This study was a controlled population intervention study with a 2‐yr baseline period and a 2‐yr intervention period.
Data were collected on all children presenting with their initial diagnosis of type 1 diabetes [pH, bicarbonate, base excess, blood glucose level (BGL), urea, and creatinine] at Gosford, Newcastle, and Sydney (Sydney Children's Hospital and Royal North Shore Hospital).
Child care centers, schools, and doctor's offices were offered education and posters about the symptoms of type 1 diabetes.
The control regions (Newcastle and Sydney) did not receive any educational intervention or test equipment.
Results In Gosford, the proportion of children presenting in DKA decreased from 37.5% (15/40) during the 2‐yr baseline period to 13.8% (4/29) during the 2‐yr intervention (p < 0.03).
There was no significant change in the control regions during the same time periods, 37.4% (46/123) and 38.6% (49/127), respectively.
In Gosford, the average BGL at presentation was 27.5 mmol/L during the baseline and 21.2 mmol/L during the intervention (p < 0.01).
Conclusion During the diabetes awareness campaign, the rate of DKA at initial diagnosis of type 1 diabetes in children decreased by 64%.
More content like this Find more content: Find more content written by: Copyright © 1999–2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.