title: Glycosylated haemoglobin is markedly elevated in new and known diabetes patients with hyperglycaemic ketoacidosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and random blood glucose are markers of chronic and acute hyperglycaemia respectively.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We compared HbA1c levels in ketoacidosis (DKA) occurring in known and newly diagnosed diabetes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective review of medical records for 83 DKA admissions in 2008 and 2009 with results for HbA1c at presentation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 52 and 31 DKA admissions in known and newly diagnosed diabetes patients respectively. Fifty of the 83 DKA admissions were in females. The mean age (per admissions) and HbA1c of all admissions are 43.4 ± 20.3 years (n=83) and 12.7 ± 3.4 % (n=83) respectively. Mean HbA1c in known Type 1, known Type 2 and newly diagnosed diabetes patients were similarly very high: 12.4 ± 3.3 %, 12.5 ± 3.3 %, 13.1 ± 3.7 %; P = 0.6828. The HbA1c levels in newly diagnosed diabetes patients less than 30 years (likely Type 1 diabetes) and ≥ 30 years (likely Type 2 diabetes) were similar. There was a tendency to significantly positive correlation between blood glucose and HbA1c in new diabetes patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our setting, DKA is associated with markedly elevated HbA1c levels in known type 1, known type 2 and new onset diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha, Private Mail Bag X1, Mthatha, Postal code 5117, Mthatha, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.
authors.forename: Chukwuma
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: O Ekpebegh
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha, Private Mail Bag X1, Mthatha, Postal code 5117, Mthatha, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Longo-Mbenza
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha, Private Mail Bag X1, Mthatha, Postal code 5117, Mthatha, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.
authors.forename: Ernesto
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Blanco-Blanco
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016883:Diabetic Ketoacidosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy; D007328:Insulin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007328:Insulin
keywords: Glycosylated haemoglobin; Known and newly diagnosed diabetes; ketoacidosis