Review and update of insulin dependent diabetes mellitus.

The purpose of this article is to provide the health care practitioner with a comprehensive review of the pathophysiology and treatment of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus. Traditionally, insulin has been administered via an insulin syringe. In the recent past, diabetes research has focused on developing more convenient insulin delivery devices and longer acting insulin's in hopes of increasing compliance with insulin therapy and improving the management of Type 1 diabetes in both children and adults. Rapidly developing approaches to insulin delivery for Type 1 diabetes continue to be developed at a rapid rate, including administration via continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion in addition to other new approaches. With these advances in therapy, pediatric patients with Type 1 diabetes have been able to achieve strict glycemic control, although the treatment of hypoglycemia remains a burden. The objectives of this article are to the following: to review the epidemiology, risk factors, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and diagnostic criteria of Type 1 diabetes mellitus in children,; to discuss the management of these patients, including, insulin therapy, monitoring, diet and exercise, carbohydrate counting and treatment of hypoglycemia,; and to review insulin administration devices, including insulin pens, insulin jet injectors, insulin pumps, and novel insulin delivery systems.