February 21, 2004
Daily Care, Hyperglycemia and DKA
Question from Staten Island, New York, USA:
My son is seven years old and was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in July 2002. His blood sugars seem to be very erratic, especially lately as his honeymoon is coming to an end. Will high blood sugars on a daily basis harm him? According to his doctor, children of my son’s age don’t really have a problem unless they go above 500 mg/dl [27.7 mmol/L]. Other people, like the school nurse and his pediatrician, think I should find another doctor. Please give your opinion. I really like his doctor and have had confidence in him until other people questioned the high and low blood sugars.
Answer:
Please look, as soon as possible, for a pediatric diabetes team with good experience in the care of children with type 1 diabetes. Forget about the high blood sugar being not harmful when not higher than 500 mg/dl [27.7 mmol/L] or sentences like these. Good metabolic control is required as early as diagnosis, even in children.
MS
