On May 18, information from Khanh Hoa General Hospital said that doctors had just successfully resuscitated a 14-year-old teenager (Dong Ninh Hoa ward) with severe metabolic acid ketones and diabetes complications.
The patient was hospitalized with symptoms of severe fatigue, vomiting, rapid breathing, and consciousness disorders. The patient's blood sugar when admitted to the hospital was at 32.1 mmol/L, many times higher than the normal threshold.
The blood pH index is only 6.6, indicating very severe metabolic acidosis, while the normal blood pH ranges from 7.35 - 7.45.
The results of examination and testing, doctors determined that the patient had severe diabetic ketoacidosis - a dangerous acute complication that could be life-threatening if not treated promptly.
Immediately after that, the patient was actively rescued, adjusted blood sugar, electrolytes and coordinated acidosis and alkalosis. After the treatment process, the patient's health gradually stabilized.
Through professional identification, the child suffers from type 1 diabetes - an autoimmune disease that prevents the body from producing insulin, a hormone that plays a role in regulating blood sugar.
Medical history exploitation shows that before being hospitalized, children tended to skip meals to lose weight but often used milk tea and soft drinks.
In a short time, the child lost about 20kg, accompanied by symptoms of drinking a lot of water and urinating a lot.
Doctors believe that fasting combined with consuming large amounts of sugary drinks can be a factor promoting sudden blood sugar spikes, contributing to diabetic ketoacidosis.
Currently, the Department of Pediatrics of the hospital has just established the Children's Diabetes Club, to support parents and pediatric patients during treatment and post-discharge monitoring.
Representative of the Club, Dr. Vo Nguyen Hoang Uyen Linh, said that currently many children are diagnosed with the disease when they have been hospitalized in a serious condition due to complications.
Signs such as drinking a lot of water, thirst, frequent urination, rapid weight loss are often easily overlooked by parents.
Meanwhile, overweight, obesity, inappropriate diet and lack of exercise are also risk factors that increase diabetes in children, Dr. Linh shared.
According to doctors' recommendations, parents need to take their children to the doctor early when symptoms such as drinking a lot of water abnormally, urinating a lot, rapid weight loss of unknown cause, prolonged fatigue, vomiting, abdominal pain, rapid breathing or drowsiness appear.
Experts also note that diabetes is a chronic disease that requires long-term treatment. Complying with treatment, using insulin according to instructions, maintaining a reasonable diet and regularly monitoring blood sugar are important factors to help children control the disease and limit complications.
