Hospital Admission for Diabetic Ketoacidosis in Thai Children and Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes: A National Study During 2015-2019

Objective: To study the national incidence of admission for diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in Thai children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) and characterize risk factors for DKA admission. Methods: Admission records of children and adolescents with T1D during the years 2015-2019 were retrieved from the Thai health coverage system of all schemes. Hospitalization was categorized according to patients’ age groups (<1, 1-5, 6-12 and 13-17 years), sex and geographical regions (Bangkok, Central, Northeast, North and South). DKA admission incidence and rate were calculated and compared among subgroups. Results: The annual incidences of T1D and DKA admissions per 100,000 child-years progressively increased over the study period (T1D: 12.0 to 15.0, p<0.001 and DKA: 4.8 to 7.3, p<0.001). About half of DKA admissions (52%) were recurrent episodes. DKA admission rate was 1.49 admissions/patient. The incidence of DKA admission was greatest in individuals aged 13-17 years (13-17 years: 10.3; 6-12 years: 6.3; 1-5 years: 1.7; and <1 year: 0.6 per 100,000 child-years, p<0.001). DKA admission incidence was greater in females than males (7.6 vs. 4.3 per 100,000 child-years, p<0.001). Across the geographical regions, the greatest percentage of recurrent DKA (57%), rate of increased annual incidence of DKA admission (3.8 to 7.8 per 100,000 child-years), and DKA admission rate (1.64 admissions/ patient) were found in the Northeast region. Conclusion: During the years 2015-2019, rising annual incidences of T1D and DKA admissions among Thai youth were observed. Individuals older than 6 years, being female, and resided in the Northeast region conveyed a higher risk for DKA hospitalization.