June 27, 2003
A1c (Glycohemoglobin, HgbA1c)
Question from Canton, Georgia, USA:
My three year old son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes about four months ago, and his endocrinologist has yet to perform an A1c test. I have asked at every visit to know what his results were when he was first diagnosed. I was first told that it was too soon to be in his records. At the next visit, I was told that information was not in his file because we visit a satellite office, and last month when I questioned again, the result was not in file. So, the endocrinologist searched on their computer system and reported that for some reason that test had not been performed. However, he still did not do a test that day!
My son has been diagnosed for four months now. How critical is an A1c test? We will be changing endocrinologists next month, but shouldn’t we have some type of baseline?
Answer:
Standards of Clinical Care for proper care of diabetes indicate that a hemoglobin A1c test should be done at the time of diagnosis and thereafter at three monthly intervals. This test can be accurately and rapidly determined in the office. It is now good practise for it to be performed at the beginning of any routine visit so that the result can contribute to the assessment of clinical status. You should check that your son’s new endocrinologist can comply with these standards.
DOB
