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| Authors | J Torpiano A Falzon V Grech J Azzopardi |
| Abstract | A retrospective analysis of hospital records was performed to study the initial presentation of type 1 diabetes mellitus and its outcome in Maltese children over the last 20 years. A total of 58 children (31 males, 27 females), under the age of 15 years, were identified as having presented with type 1 diabetes mellitus in Malta during the period 1982 2002, but data was incomplete for 6 patients. 25 patients were admitted to hospital with diabetic ketoacidosis and were managed by intravenous fluids and insulin. Another 27 patients did not present in ketoacidosis, and of these 19 were admitted to hospital and given intravenous insulin, 3 were admitted to hospital but only given subcutaneous insulin, while 5 were managed in the community with subcutaneous insulin. Five year summation showed a sharp rise in the number of cases, from 4 cases in 1986 1990, to 19 cases in 1991 1995, to 32 cases in 1996 2001. Analysis by quarter of presentation showed significant seasonality, with a peak in November. 41.1% of patients presented with a concomitant infection, in most cases affecting the upper respiratory tract. During the whole 20 year period under study, there were no deaths and no serious long-term complications were reported following the presenting episode. |
Published in: | |
| Journal | Malta Medical Journal |
| Volume | 15 Issue 1-2/suppl. 2003 |
| Pages | - |
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| Key words | type 1 diabetes, children, outcome |