A questionnaire survey on severe hypoglycemia (SH) in pediatric patients with diabetes was distributed to pediatric diabetes specialists and members of the Committee of Pediatric Diabetes in the Japan Diabetes Society. Thirty-three hospitals answered the questionnaire survey, and 17 had treated the eligible patients under 15 years of age, including 506 with type 1 diabetes and 302 with type 2 diabetes. Of these patients, 25 experienced SH from January 2017 to December 2021. SH occurred in 3 patients at 0-5 years, 5 at 5-10 years, and 15 at 10-15 years, and it most frequently occurred between the times of 0:00 and 08:00 a.m. The majority of the patients had SH at home during the nighttime. Only 4 patients experienced SH during school time. Eleven patients took glucose orally, while 5 used glucagon nasal powder. Fifteen patients were transferred to hospital emergency units for the management of SH. From these results, the frequency of SH was estimated to be 0.01/patient/year, and the treatment for SH seemed insufficient.
Keywords: Childhood diabetes; Patient education; Questionnaire survey; Severe hypoglycemia; Type 1 diabetes.
© The Japan Diabetes Society 2024.