title: Diabetic ketoacidosis in an Addis Abeba children's hospital.
abstract: A retrospective study was carried out to determine the precipitating factors and clinical profiles of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) among 46 paediatric patients (mean age 9 yrs) with 52 episodes admitted to the Ethio-Swedish Children's Hospital (ESCH) from January 1, 1982 to December 30, 1988. Thirty (58%) episodes occurred in newly diagnosed diabetics and 22 (42%) episodes in known diabetics. The most common precipitating factors were infection (52%), omission of insulin (16%) and parasitic infection (12%). The mortality rate was 6%, with all fatal cases occurring in previously undiagnosed diabetics. Several of these episodes of DKA may have been prevented by prompt and effective treatment of infections and proper health education.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Gonder College of Medical Sciences, Addis Abeda University, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Desta
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016883:Diabetic Ketoacidosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D015985:Precipitating Factors; D012189:Retrospective Studies