Thanh Thuy District Medical Center, Phu Tho province received and treated patient D.P.B, who is only 13 years old but has acute complications of diabetes.
According to the family, for over a month now, the baby has been complaining of fatigue, eating a lot, drinking a lot of water and feeling sleepy. In 1 month, the baby has lost 10kg. About 10 days before being admitted to the hospital, the baby fell off his motorbike, after which he had pain in his head and shoulders on both sides. On the same day of admission to the hospital, the baby vomited, had a headache, had dull pain in the epigastric region and felt tired. The family took the baby for a check-up.
Through examination, the doctors found that the baby was lethargic, and his blood sugar level was very high (34.7 mmol/L) compared to the normal threshold. The doctors consulted with the Emergency, Intensive Care and Poison Control departments to diagnose diabetic ketoacidosis.
Dr. Ha Thi Hang, Department of Emergency, Intensive Care and Anti-Poisoning, said: Diabetic ketoacidosis includes dangerous biochemical disorders: Hyperglycemia, ketosis, acidosis accompanied by electrolyte disorders. Children with diabetic ketoacidosis can have dangerous complications such as coma, cerebral edema, hypovolemic shock due to dehydration, and even death. They need to be treated actively and promptly with intravenous fluids, insulin, and correction of electrolyte disorders and risk factors.
Type 1 diabetes is also known as juvenile diabetes, because the disease is mainly detected in children and young adults. If not detected and treated promptly, the disease can lead to acute complications such as ketoacidosis, causing dehydration and death.
Type 1 diabetes is insulin-dependent, which occurs mainly in children and adolescents, and occurs when the pancreas no longer produces enough insulin. Patients with type 1 diabetes need to be treated with insulin to have a chance of survival.
With type 2 diabetes, the main problem is insulin resistance. The pancreas can make insulin, often in large amounts, but the insulin does not work well because the cells in the body are resistant to its effects. With type 2 diabetes, over time the pancreas becomes exhausted, the body becomes resistant to insulin and falls into a state of insulin deficiency.
In addition to the two common types of diabetes above, children can also experience diseases such as neonatal diabetes (children under 1 year old), age-onset diabetes of the young (MODY), or diabetes accompanied by other medical conditions that damage the pancreas (secondary diabetes).
The causes of type 1 diabetes are complex and not yet fully understood. Diabetes is caused by a combination of genes and environmental factors.
Type 2 diabetes is becoming increasingly common in adolescents. The main cause is being overweight or obese, often linked to lifestyle factors such as not exercising enough, overeating, and eating unhealthy foods (too much fat, sugar, or starch). Those most at risk are those with “central obesity” (ie excess weight concentrated in and around the abdomen).
Family factors also play a role in type 2 diabetes. Some other, less common forms of type 2 diabetes affect people who are not obese and are often strongly influenced by genetic factors.
