
A Prospective Study of Children Who were Admitted for Diabetes Mellitus at a Jamaican Hospital
832-834
Correspondence
Prof. Dalip Ragoobirsingh Biochemistry Section, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Kingston 7, Jamaica W.I. Tel: 876-927-2290; Fax: 876-977-3823. Mobile: 1-876-509-0523. E-mail: dalip.ragoobirsingh@uwimona.edu.jm
Background: Type 1 diabetes mellitus is the predominant form of youth onset diabetes, and a majority of hospital admissions of this group of patients is usually due to a poor control of diabetes.
Objective: This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of type 1 diabetes mellitus in children who were admitted to the Bustamante Hospital for Children in Jamaica over a ten year period.
Methods and Materials: A medical records study was conducted over this ten year period.
Results: These showed that there were 77,679 admissions, of which 85 were for type 1 diabetes mellitus. Fifty (50) percent of the latter was between 8-12 years old. Female diabetic patients were twice as that of the males.
Conclusion: It appears that one in every thousand children who were admitted to this institution were admitted for type 1 diabetes mellitus, and that girls between the ages of 8-12 years were more at risk.