Ask the Diabetes Educator Archive

4/21/03

Q:
If a child is admitted to the hospital with high sugar levels and ketoacidosis, is it standard practice to identify the child as eithertype 1 or type 2 diabetic? If so, what tests are done at time of admittance and what factors would definitively identify the child as either type 1 or type 2 diabetic? Or is judgment made simply on the physical symptoms present at the time of admitance such as age, sugar levels, etc.?

A:
With what you described, the chances are most likely that this child would be a Type 1, meaning the pancreas is no longer providing insulin, or the amount is so low, it cannot sustain life. The C-Peptide test is the one that will determine the status of the pancreas's ability to make insulin. If you do now have a child with diabetes, seek lots of support and be patient with all of you.