Abstract
Background Hypoglycemia is one of the most common acute complications of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). The knowledge of the factors associated with hypoglycemia will help in the prevention and management of the problem. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess hypoglycemia and its associated factors among T1DM patients who attended the diabetes outpatient clinic of St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College (SPHMMC). Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at the diabetes clinic of SPHMMC. Data on sociodemographic and clinical characteristics including duration of diabetes, type of insulin they have been taking, the factors associated with hypoglycemia, and the severity stage of hypoglycemia was obtained. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire and chart review. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with hypoglycemia. Result Out of the 247 participants who were recruited into the study, 233 (94.3%) of them experienced hypoglycemia. A total of 6.9 events of hypoglycemia per patient per year happened. Particularly, the events were categorized as 3.1 mild events, 2.3 moderate events, and 0.93 severe events of hypoglycemia. Shorter duration of diabetes history (<1 year) was significantly associated with less experience of hypoglycemia (AOR = 0.09, 95% CI: 0.01-0.90). However, blood glucose monitoring at home was found to be significantly associated with more report of hypoglycemia (AOR = 5.77, 95% CI: 1.16-28.66). Conclusion The prevalence of hypoglycemia among T1DM patients was found as substantially high. Self/family blood glucose monitoring at home could not guarantee to minimize the occurrence of hypoglycemia events. Finger stick home blood glucose monitoring should be given a special attention. Therefore, the involvement of health care providers in diabetes care should be encouraged to address the occurrence of hypoglycemia in T1DM patients.
Highlights
Hypoglycemia is one of the most common acute complications of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM)
We found that hypoglycemia is still a challenge in T1DM as more than 90% of the patients who attended the outpatient diabetes clinics of SPHMMC experienced hypoglycemia since they were diagnosed
Patients suffered with all types of hypoglycemia events, severe hypoglycemia happened infrequently
Summary
Hypoglycemia is one of the most common acute complications of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). This study was conducted to assess hypoglycemia and its associated factors among T1DM patients who attended the diabetes outpatient clinic of St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College (SPHMMC). Data on sociodemographic and clinical characteristics including duration of diabetes, type of insulin they have been taking, the factors associated with hypoglycemia, and the severity stage of hypoglycemia was obtained. Blood glucose monitoring at home was found to be significantly associated with more report of hypoglycemia (AOR = 5 77, 95% CI: 1.16-28.66). Self/family blood glucose monitoring at home could not guarantee to minimize the occurrence of hypoglycemia events. Hypoglycemia is one of the most feared complications of diabetes treatment [12]
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