June 29, 2008
Other
Question from Dubai, United Arab Emirates:
My son was admitted to the hospital because of a high blood sugar, 300 mg/dl [16.7 mmol/l]. He also had a very high ketone level, was vomiting and had stomach pain. He had no symptoms before this. He has been diagnosed as having juvenile diabetes. We live overseas. Is the treatment of juvenile diabetes the same internationally as in the U.S.? We don’t know if we can trust the treatment where we are now living. Should my son be brought United States for special tests? I don’t know what to do.
Answer:
First of all, the type of diabetes with which your son was diagnosed is now called type 1 diabetes. It is the same disease, just a different name.
Based on my experience in Dubai (see Report from Dubai 2007), medical care for type 1 diabetes is excellent in your country. While there are differences in treatment throughout the world, the knowledge of type 1 and its diagnosis is well understood everywhere. Living in Dubai, you will have access to the very latest in treatment tools, including insulin pumps and continuous glucose sensors.
JSH
