RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Has COVID-19 Delayed the Diagnosis and Worsened the Presentation of Type 1 Diabetes in Children?
JF Diabetes Care
JO Diabetes Care
FD American Diabetes Association
SP 2870
OP 2872
DO 10.2337/dc20-1321
VO 43
IS 11
A1 Rabbone, Ivana
A1 Schiaffini, Riccardo
A1 Cherubini, Valentino
A1 Maffeis, Claudio
A1 Scaramuzza, Andrea
YR 2020
UL http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/43/11/2870.abstract
AB 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 = 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.