Clinical and laboratory profile of pediatric and adolescent patients with type 1 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate clinical and laboratory profiles of patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus in three public hospitals in São Paulo, Brazil, since type 1 diabetes mellitus is a chronic illness that occurs mainly in the pediatric age group in the Brazilian population.

METHODS

Cross-sectional study with patients followed up in reference centers in São José do Rio Preto (FAMERP), Campinas (UNICAMP) and São Paulo (Conjunto Hospitalar do Mandaqui). Data about gender, age, diabetes duration, daily insulin dose, number of daily insulin injections, and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were analyzed.

RESULTS

Two hundred and thirty-nine patients (131 females) were evaluated; mean age was 13.1+/-4.7 years and mean diabetes duration was 6.6+/-4.2 years. Daily insulin doses ranged from 0.1 to 1.78 units/kg/day (0.88+/-0.28), and 180 (74.7%) patients had two daily injections. HbA1c ranged from 4.6 to 17.9% (10.0+/-2.3%).

CONCLUSIONS

Although the hospitals included in this study are excellence centers for the follow-up of patients with diabetes in three municipalities in the state of São Paulo, one of the most developed states in Brazil, blood glucose control evaluated according to HbA1c was not adequate. Findings confirm that, despite the efforts of all the professionals involved, great challenges still lie ahead.