title: Management of the pregnant diabetic: home or hospital, with or without glucose meters?
abstract: Thirteen pregnant insulin-dependent diabetic patients were allocated to blood-glucose self-monitoring (meter) or conventionally treated (non-meter) groups at 30--31 weeks. A day-profile of blood-glucose and intermediary metabolite levels was obtained 2 weeks later at home and after routine admission to hospital at 35--36 weeks. Metabolic profiles were also obtained in eight normal pregnant women of equivalent gestational ages admitted to hospital for study. The mean blood-glucose and metabolite concentrations in both the meter and non-meter groups were similar to those obtained in the non-diabetic pregnant women (mean diurnal blood-glucose 4.6 +/- 1.1 mmol/l, meter group; 5.3 +/- 1.5 non-meter group; 4.8 +/- 0.8 controls). The diabetic control achieved at home was not improved by the use of a meter or admission to hospital (mean glucose at home 5.0 +/- 1.3 and 6.3 +/- 1.6 mmol/l in hospital). Both the use of a meter and admission to hospital may be valuable in some patients. Neither, however, is essential for the good control of blood-glucose in all pregnant diabetics.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000409:Alanine / Q000097:blood; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000295:instrumentation; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D005990:Glycerol / Q000097:blood; D006699:Home Care Services; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D006885:Hydroxybutyrates / Q000097:blood; D007773:Lactates / Q000097:blood; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000295:instrumentation; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D011254:Pregnancy in Diabetics / Q000097:blood*; D012656:Self-Help Devices
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D006885:Hydroxybutyrates; D007773:Lactates; D000409:Alanine; D005990:Glycerol