Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Hypoglycemia is the most frequent iatrogenic acute complication in type 1 diabetics, it is a potentially serious complication, which can lead to coma. Many advances in new generation insulins, self-monitoring methods and therapeutic education have reduced the incidence of this complication. Nevertheless, hypoglycemia still generates great fear and anxiety in parents of young type 1 diabetic patients, which can be accompanied by several therapeutic errors.

Objectives: To describe the fear of hypoglycemia in parents of young T1D patients as well as the resulting therapeutic errors and the impact on glycemic control.

Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional descriptive study carried out in the endocrinology and metabolic diseases department, including the parents of young T1D patients aged between 15 and 20, hospitalized in the departments or received in transition consultation during the year 2022. Our study excluded severe hypoglycaemia.

Results: Our study included 92 parents of young T1D patients aged on average 17.1 years, the mother was the most involved in the management of diabetes in 75%, and the father in 25%. It was noted a fear of hypoglycemia in all parents but mainly nocturnal in 89%. In cases of mild to moderate hypoglycemia, 90% of parents advised a double consumption of the carbohydrates necessary for resugar, a snack was taken in 45%, the next insulin dose was generally reduced in 50% of cases, not taken in 5%, the average HBA1C was 9.4%.

Conclusions: Hypoglycemia is a frequent complication, a source of anxiety for patients and their families requiring targeted education of patients but also of parents and siblings. Education should be a flexible process, adapted to the specific and changing needs of young people and their families, as they go through the different stages of their lives.