Delayed diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis in children—a cause for concern

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is the major cause for mortality in children with diabetes mellitus (DM). Delayed diagnosis or missed diagnosis is common among children with DKA. This study was undertaken to identify the impact of delayed diagnosis on clinical presentation, complications, and mortality of DKA in children from a tertiary care center at Chennai. Among the 118 episodes of DKA in 100 children less than 12 years of age, delayed diagnosis was more common in new onset diabetes mellitus (DM). Forty-four out of 68 children with new onset DM with DKA (64.7 %) had delayed diagnosis. Thirty-two children with established diabetes presented with 50 episodes of DKA. Among these, eight episodes (16 %) had a delay in diagnosis; 85.7 % of infants, 76.9 % of toddlers, and 58 % of the preschool and school children had delayed diagnosis. Urinary tract infections, respiratory illness, vomiting, febrile illness, acute abdomen, and encephalopathy were the common diagnosis in children where DKA was missed. The causes for delay in diagnosis and management of DKA were lack of parental and physician awareness, improper referral, and delayed transport. Presence of shock, altered sensorium, severe DKA, lower PaCO₂ at admission, and complications like renal failure and cerebral edema were higher in children with delayed diagnosis of DKA. This was found to be statistically significant. Delayed diagnosis was a significant risk factor for mortality in children with DKA (p = 0.00) in this study population.