Predictors and Trends of Diabetic Ketoacidosis at Diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus in Malaysian Children.

Objectives: Previous reports indicate that diabetic ketoacidosis (pDKA) rates in Malaysian children with type 1 diabetes range between 54-75%, which is higher than most European nations. Knowledge of trends and predictors of DKA can be helpful to inform measures to lower the rates of DKA. However, this data is lacking in Malaysian children. Hence, the aim of this study was to determine the predictors and trends of pDKA in Malaysian children at the initial diagnosis of T1DM. Methods: This cross-sectional study examined demographic, clinical and biochemical data of all newly diagnosed Malaysian children aged 0-18 years with T1DM over 11 years from a single centre. Regression analyses determined the predictors and trends. Results: The overall pDKA rate was 73.2%, of which 54.9% were severe DKA. Age ≥5 years (OR 12.29, 95% CI 1.58, 95.58, p= 0.017) and misdiagnosis (OR 3.73, 95% CI 1.36, 10.24 p=0.01) were significant predictors of a DKA presentation. No significant trends in the annual rates of DKA, severe DKA nor children <5 years presenting with DKA were found over the 11-years study period. Conclusion: DKA rates at initial diagnosis of T1DM in Malaysian children are high and severe DKA accounts for a significant burden. Though misdiagnosis and age ≥5 years are predictors of DKA, misdiagnosis can be improved through awareness and education. The lack of downward trends in DKA and severe DKA highlights the urgency to develop measures to curb its rates.

Knowledge and Perception of Bidirectional Relationship Between Periodontal Disease and Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: A Questionnaire Study.

Aim: The bidirectional relationship between type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and inflammatory periodontal disease (PD) is globally recognized. However, oral health components are often given lower priority, and studies related to knowledge and the bidirectional association are limited. This study assesses the knowledge and perceptions of PD and its associated risk factors among T1DM patients and/or their parents. Materials and Methods: Patients under 18 with T1DM at Universiti Teknologi MARA and Universiti Malaya were invited to participate. Structured interviews were conducted to assess participants' knowledge and perceptions of T1DM, and statistical analysis was performed to examine their associations using Pearson's chi-squared test and Fisher's exact test. Results: A total of 113 T1DM patients, with a mean age of 11.4 ± 4, completed the interviews. Poor knowledge was observed among parents and T1DM patients (P-value = 0.007) and those who exercised regularly (P-value = 0.047). A significant association with good perception was found among individuals with uncontrolled HbA1c levels (P-value = 0.0018) and those experiencing bleeding symptoms (P-value = 0.021). Conclusions: The study highlights the importance of increasing awareness, a key factor in improving oral health knowledge. Interestingly, despite poor control of clinical parameters, the population displayed good perception, suggesting a potential lack of understanding regarding disease control.

Internet analytics of an innovative digital educational resource of type 1 diabetes HelloType1 in local languages for people living with diabetes families and healthcare professionals in Southeast Asia.

BACKGROUND: There is minimal data of health outcomes for Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) in Southeast Asia (SEA) where government funding of insulin and blood glucose monitoring either do not exist or is limited. The full impact of Covid-19 pandemic on the national economies of SEA remain unknown. In the midst of the pandemic, in 2021, HelloType1 was developed by Action4Diabetes (A4D), a non-government organisation charity in collaboration with Southeast Asia local healthcare professionals as an innovative digital educational resource platform of T1D in local languages. HelloType1 was launched in Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia in 2021 to 2022 with Memorandums of Understandings (MOUs) signed between A4D and each country. Internet data analytics were undertaken between the 1st of January 2022 to 31st of December 2022. AIMS: The aims of this study were to explore the usability and internet data analytics of the HelloType1 online educational platform within each country. METHODS: The data analytics were extracted Google analytics that tracks data from the website hellotype1.com and Facebook analytics associated with the website. RESULTS: There was a 147% increase in the number of HelloType1 users between the first 6 months versus the latter 6 months in 2022 and a 15% increase in the number of pages visited were noted. The majority of traffic source were coming from organic searches with a significant increase of 80% growth in 2022. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the analytics provide important insights on how an innovative diabetes digital educational resource in local languages may be optimally delivered in low-middle income countries with limited resources.

Paediatric new onset type 1 diabetes and diabetic ketoacidosis during the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia.

AIMS: Despite emerging evidence of increased paediatric diabetes mellitus (DM) and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) worldwide following the COVID-19 pandemic, studies in Asia are lacking. We aimed to determine the frequency, demographics, and clinical characteristics of new onset type 1 DM (T1DM) during the pandemic in Malaysia. METHODS: This is a retrospective multicenter study involving new onset T1DM paediatric patients in Klang Valley, Malaysia during two time periods ie 18th September 2017-17th March 2020 (pre-pandemic) and 18th March 2020-17th September 2022 (pandemic). RESULTS: There was a total of 180 patients with new onset T1DM during the 5-year study period (71 pre-pandemic, 109 pandemic). An increase in frequency of T1DM was observed during the pandemic (52 in 2021, 38 in 2020, 27 in 2019 and 30 in 2018). A significantly greater proportion of patients presented with DKA (79.8 % vs 64.8 %), especially severe DKA (46.8 % vs 28.2 %) during the pandemic. Serum glucose was significantly higher (28.2 mmol vs 25.9 mmol/L) with lower venous pH (7.10 vs 7.16), but HbA1c was unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: New onset T1DM increased during the pandemic, with a greater proportion having severe DKA. Further studies are required to evaluate the mechanism leading to this rise to guide intervention measures.

Pulmonary dysfunction in overweight and obese children with obstructive sleep apnoea.

INTRODUCTION: Overweight and obese children are at risk of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and abnormal pulmonary function (PF). AIM: Investigate the relationship between body mass index (BMI), OSA on PF in children. MATERIALS & METHOD: Seventy-four children were recruited. Mixed obstructive apnoea-hypopnea index (MOAHI), BMI, oxygen saturation (SpO2 ), forced expiratory volume one second (FEV1 ), forced vital capacity (FVC) and fractionated exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) were measured. RESULTS: Twenty-four and thirty children had mild OSA and moderate-to-severe OSA respectively. BMI correlated negatively with SpO2 nadir (r = -.363, p = .001). FVC, FEV1 and nadir SpO2 values decreased with OSA severity (p < .001). The odds of a child with OSA having an abnormal spirometry was 3.16 (95% CI: 1.08, 9.22). There was significant association between FeNO and AHI (r = .497, <.001). DISCUSSION: Overweight and obese children with OSA have significant abnormalities in pulmonary function independent of BMI. OSA severity and elevated FeNO also correlated with diminishing lung function.

Triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio is an independent predictor of liver fibrosis among pediatrics non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Background: Insulin resistance (IR), one of the key components of the metabolic syndrome, is recognized as the pathophysiological hallmark of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study aims to investigate the relationship between surrogate markers of IR and the severity of NAFLD among overweight or obese children. Methodology: A total of 56 consecutive children aged 6 to 18 years old were recruited from the pediatric obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) clinic in University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) from 2016 to 2019. Data on anthropometric measurements, clinical components of metabolic syndrome and fasting serum insulin were collected. Triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (TG: HDL-C), Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) and Single Point Insulin Sensitivity Estimator (SPISE) were calculated. Transient elastography was performed with hepatic steatosis and liver fibrosis assessed by controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) and liver stiffness measurement (LSM), respectively. Results: A total of 44 children (78.6%) had liver steatosis and 35.7% had presence of significant liver fibrosis (stage F≥2). Majority (89.3%) are obese and 24 children (42.9%) were diagnosed with metabolic syndrome. Higher number of children with T2DM and significant liver fibrosis were associated with higher tertiles of TG: HDL-C ratio (p<0.05). Top tertile of TG: HDL-C ratio was an independent predictor of liver fibrosis (OR=8.14, 95%CI: 1.24-53.36, p=0.029). ROC analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of HOMA-IR (0.77) and TG: HDL-C ratio (0.71) were greater than that of metabolic syndrome (0.70), T2DM (0.62) and SPISE (0.22). The optimal cut-off values of HOMA-IR and TG: HDL-C ratio for detecting liver fibrosis among children with NAFLD are 5.20 and 1.58, respectively. Conclusion: Children with NAFLD and higher TG: HDL-C ratio are more likely to have liver fibrosis. TG: HDL-C ratio is a promising tool to risk stratify those with NAFLD who are at risk of developing advanced liver disease.

Is Misdiagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus in Malaysian Children a Common Phenomenon?

Background: Children with Type 1 diabetes (T1DM) commonly present in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at initial diagnosis. This is likely due to several factors, one of which includes the propensity for T1DM to be misdiagnosed. The prevalence of misdiagnosis has been reported in non-Asian children with T1DM but not in Asian cohorts. Aim: To report the rate of misdiagnosis and its associated risk factors in Malaysian children and adolescents with T1DM. Methods: A retrospective analysis of children with T1DM below 18 years of age over a 10 year period was conducted. Results: The cohort included 119 children (53.8% female) with a mean age 8.1 SD ± 3.9 years. 38.7% of cases were misdiagnosed, of which respiratory illnesses were the most common (37.0%) misdiagnosis. The rate of misdiagnosis remained the same over the 10 year period. Among the variables examined, younger age at presentation, DKA at presentation, healthcare professional (HCP) contact and admission to the intensive care unit were significantly different between the misdiagnosed and correctly diagnosed groups (p <0.05). Conclusion: Misdiagnosis of T1DM occurs more frequently in Malaysian children <5 years of age. Misdiagnosed cases are at a higher risk of presenting in DKA with increased risk of ICU admission and more likely to have had prior HCP contact. Awareness of T1DM amongst healthcare professionals is crucial for early identification, prevention of DKA and reducing rates of misdiagnosis.

Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) as a risk factor for secondary osteoporosis in children.

Repetitive hypoxia seen in obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) may affect bone metabolism increasing the risk for secondary osteoporosis. This study investigates the association between OSAS in children and secondary osteoporosis. This cross-sectional study included 150 children aged 10-17 years: 86 with OSAS and 64 with no OSAS. OSAS was confirmed by polysomnography. Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) of calcaneum measuring speed of sound (SoS) and broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) were collected. Other parameters collected including bone profile, vitamin D levels, physical activity scoring and dietary calcium intake. Majority were male and Malay ethnicity. OSAS children were mostly obese (84%) and 57% had moderate to severe OSAS. Most had lower physical activities scores. Mean (SD) phosphate and Alkaline phosphatase were lower in OSA children compared to controls: PO4, p = 0.039 and ALP, p < 0.001. Using both single and multivariate analysis, children with OSAS had a lower mean SoS value, p < 0.001 and p = 0.004 respectively after adjusting for age, BMI and bone profile. Children with OSAS had lower SoS suggesting risk for secondary osteoporosis. QUS calcaneus is a non-invasive, feasible tool and can be used to screen risk of osteoporosis in children. Further bone mineral density assessment is needed in these groups of children to confirm diagnosis of osteoporosis.

Ischaemic Haemorrhagic Stroke in a Child with New Onset Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus.

Cerebral oedema is the most common neurological complication of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). However, ischaemic and haemorrhagic brain injury has been reported infrequently. A 10-year old girl who was previously well presented with severe DKA. She was tachycardic with poor peripheral perfusion but normotensive. However, two fast boluses totalling 40 ml/kg normal saline were given. She was transferred to another hospital where she was intubated due to drowsiness. Rehydration fluid (maintenance and 48-hour correction for 7.5% dehydration) was started followed by insulin infusion. She was extubated within 24 hours of admission. Her ketosis resolved soon after and subcutaneous insulin was started. However, about 48 hours after admission, her Glasgow Coma Scale score dropped to 11/15 (E4M5V2) with expressive aphasia and upper motor neuron signs. One dose of mannitol was given. Her symptoms improved gradually and at 26-month follow-up she had a near-complete recovery with only minimal left lower limb weakness. Serial magnetic resonance imaging brain scans showed vascular ischaemic injury at the frontal-parietal watershed regions with haemorrhagic transformation. This case reiterates the importance of monitoring the neurological status of patient's with DKA closely for possible neurological complications including an ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke.