By Ashley Bateman -
The inability to see a doctor and the fear of contracting COVID-19 in a hospital led to the life-threatening, delayed diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes in children, according to a new study.
The study, published May 4 in The Journal of Pediatrics, describes cases of children who could have received life-saving treatment early on but delayed visits to the hospital due to fears of coronavirus.
In one case, an 8-year-old California boy with no significant past medical history showed up in the emergency room in pain with severe diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a condition of out-of-control blood sugar levels. The family tried to see a provider three days earlier but never received a response.
Another case describes a 17-year-old Indiana girl who had a medical history and developed breathing problems, but a respiratory clinic failed to investigate her symptoms beyond COVID-19 — for which she tested negative. The girl was suffering from DKA and required treatment three days later in a hospital intensive care unit.
“Appropriate measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are vitally important,” the study’s authors write. “But we must not let the fear of COVID-19, from health professionals and the general population, delay the diagnosis and prompt treatment.” The authors point out urine dipsticks for glucose and ketones and fingerstick tests for blood glucose avoid potentially deadly delays in diabetes diagnosis.
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