Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether the diagnosis of pediatric type 1 diabetes or its acute complications changed during the early phase of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Italy. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This was a cross-sectional, web-based survey of all Italian pediatric diabetes centers to collect diabetes, diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), and COVID-19 data in patients presenting with new-onset or established type 1 diabetes between 20 February and 14 April in 2019 and 2020. RESULTS Fifty-three of 68 centers (77.9%) responded. There was a 23% reduction in new diabetes cases in 2020 compared with 2019. Among those newly diagnosed patients who presented in a state of DKA, the proportion with severe DKA was 44.3% in 2020 vs. 36.1% in 2019 (P 5 0.03). There were no differences in acute complications. Eight patients with asymptomatic or mild COVID-19 had laboratory-confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. CONCLUSIONS The COVID-19 pandemic might have altered diabetes presentation and DKA severity. Preparing for any “second wave” requires strategies to educate and reassure parents about timely emergency department attendance for non–COVID-19 symptoms. © 2020 by the American Diabetes Association.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 2870-2872 |
Number of pages | 3 |
Journal | Diabetes Care |
Volume | 43 |
Issue number | 11 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2020 |
Keywords
- adolescent
- Article
- asymptomatic disease
- child
- clinical evaluation
- coronavirus disease 2019
- cross-sectional study
- delayed diagnosis
- diabetic ketoacidosis
- disease severity
- health center
- health survey
- human
- insulin dependent diabetes mellitus
- Italy
- major clinical study
- pandemic
- Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
- Betacoronavirus
- Coronavirus infection
- female
- hospital emergency service
- infant
- laboratory technique
- male
- preschool child
- virology
- virus pneumonia
- Adolescent
- Child
- Child, Preschool
- Clinical Laboratory Techniques
- Coronavirus Infections
- Cross-Sectional Studies
- Delayed Diagnosis
- Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1
- Diabetic Ketoacidosis
- Emergency Service, Hospital
- Female
- Humans
- Infant
- Male
- Pandemics
- Pneumonia, Viral