P-462: Increased incidence of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) during COVID-19 pandemic
S K Kohara, G Bruns Lenz, N Dallacqua, D Cordeiro dos SantosAbstract
Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic led to strict measures and healthcare shifts, delaying diagnosis of conditions like type 1 diabetes (T1D). In children, this increased DKA at diagnosis, often more severe, likely due to reduced access to care and fear of infection during the pandemic.
Objectives
To compare the severity and frequency of DKA in new-onset type 1 diabetes mellitus patients and in patients with previous diagnosis of T1D in a referral Pediatric hospital during and before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods
This retrospective cohort study reviewed medical records of children with DKA at a referral Pediatric hospital between April/2018 and December/2019 (pre-pandemic period) and between April/2020 and December/2021 (pandemic period). We analyzed demographics, clinical features, hospital stay, and laboratory data, excluding incomplete records. The means, percentages, and variability were calculated, and the chi-squared test and Fisher’s exact test were applied accordingly.
Results
We analyzed 55 patients with 74 DKA admissions, comparing pre-pandemic (Group 1) and pandemic (Group 2) periods. The Gender distribution shifted toward females. Age and diagnosis patterns showed trends but no significant differences. Table 1 shows the characteristics of Group 1 and 2.
Conclusions
Our study found a 39% rise in patients and 85% in admissions, There were a marked increase in DKA cases during the pandemic period, consistent with international data, but without differences in severity, though with a trend toward more ventilation and dialysis. Most cases were moderate to severe, reflecting delayed diagnosis.