title: Nationwide cross-sectional survey of 3560 children and adolescents with diabetes in Italy.
abstract: Clinical characteristics and metabolic control in a large cohort of children with Type 1 diabetes (T1DM) were evaluated. Fifty-three Italian centers for childhood diabetes collected blood samples and clinical records from 3560 consecutive eligible patients aged 1.6-17.10 yr with disease duration >12 months. HbA1c determinations were centralized in a Diabetes Control and Complications Trial-controlled laboratory. HbA1c grand mean was 8.87 +/- 1.77%. Thirty-two percent of the patients had HbA1c values <8.0%. Puberty and disease duration were the main determinants of increase in HbA1c levels (<0.001). HbA1c values were inversely correlated to the frequency of blood glucose monitoring (p<0.001). Among the total population, 53.7% of the patients had 4 or more injections per day, 37.8% three injections, 7.4% < or =2 injections and only 1.1% was on pumps. Daily number of injections increased with age (p<0.001). Hypoglycemia episodes were reported in 17.6% patient-years and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in 1.0% of children, more frequently in those with HbA1c >8.8% (p<0.02). Two thirds of Italian children with T1DM have HbA1c>8% despite regionalized centers, multidisciplinary team approach, free access to appropriate diabetes care, education, frequent blood glucose monitoring and multiple insulin injections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Parma, Parma, Italy. maurizio.vanelli@unipr.it
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vanelli
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cerutti
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chiarelli
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lorini
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Meschi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016883:Diabetic Ketoacidosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D007328:Insulin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D012044:Regression Analysis
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007328:Insulin