Hypoglycemic Episodes in Diabetic Children
Issue: 4/1998
Author: V. Tzaneva, Clinic of Endocrinology and Gastroenterology Department of Pediatrics, Medical University – Varna
Abstract:
Hypoglycemia is the most common complication of Type 1 Diabetes. The incidence rate, etiology and clinical characteristics of hypoglycemia were studied in 64 diabetic children followed-up by the author for 1-14 years after the onset of their disease. For a total of 319 years, 23 children (35,9%) survived 48 episodes of severe hypoglycemia which incidence rate amounted to 0,15 episodes per patient per year. In 1996, 6,25% of the observed children were affected by this complication. For one month only, 51,6% of the children suffered at least one attack of mild or slight hypoglycemia which incidence rate was 16,7 episodes per patients per year. 46% of hypoglycemic episodes have developed during the night. The children with severe hypoglycemia had a longer duration of diabetes (5,9 years versus 3,9 years), a lower HbA-1c, (7,6% versus 8,5%), a higher insulin dosage (0,97 versus 0,88 UI/kg/24 h) as well as a poorer self-control. Only 8,7% of them measured every week the blood glucose level versus 34% of the children without any severe hypoglycemia. The most common reason for development of hypoglycemia was the delayed or reduced nutrition (in 41,7% of the cases) followed by insulin overdosage (in 22,9%) and increased physical activity (in 20,8%). The most frequent hypoglycemic symptoms were the following: tremor, sweating, feeling of hunger, weakness, and paleness.
A conclusion was drawn that intensified treatment did not enhance the risk of hypoglycemia on condition that the patient was well-trained and performed a regular selfcontrol.
Keywords: Type 1 Diabetes, hypoglycemia, children, incidence, risk factors.
