Paediatric intensive care admissions for acute diabetes complications

Aim To describe the admission characteristics and outcomes of children admitted to paediatric intensive care because of acute diabetes complications in England and Wales. Methods Retrospective review of children admitted to paediatric intensive care in England and Wales between April 2003 and March 2007 with acute diabetes complications using data from the Paediatric Intensive Care Audit Network (PICANet). Results There were 341 admissions in 330 patients for acute diabetes complications, comprising 0.6% of all 56 322 intensive care admissions. There was a steady annual increase during this period from 0.54% to 0.67%. The majority of admissions were for ketoacidosis (87%), with more female admissions than males (56% vs. 44%). Forty per cent of the diabetes admissions were aged 11-15 years. There were five deaths (1.5%), all female. Conclusions Acute diabetes complications are an increasing cause of admission to paediatric intensive care, particularly for teenage girls. The overall mortality rate was low for intensive care admissions for diabetes. Earlier diagnosis of new cases, heightened awareness of this condition and better management of existing diabetic patients may obviate the need for costly intensive care treatment.