Clinical characteristics of people with diabetic ketoacidosis at a clinic in The Gambia: a retrospective study

Background: Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) remains an important cause of hospitalisation and death in people with diabetes mellitus (DM) living in low- and middle-income countries. The clinical profile of patients with DKA varies, and maybe contributory to the outcomes observed globally. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics of people with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) seen at a clinic in The Gambia during a one-and-a-half-year period. Methods: This was a retrospective chart review that included people with DM who were seen from June 2017 to December 2018 at the Medical Research Council the Gambia at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Biodata, anthropometric and admissions data were extracted for all patients from the electronic medical records system. Data were analysed for differences in clinical and biochemical characteristics on admission for DKA. Results: In total, 23 out of 103 admissions for people with DM were for a diagnosis of DKA during the study period. Sixteen of those included were females and the mean age of all patients was 35 ± 13 years. Two people had type 1 DM and 15 people were categorised as type 2 DM. DM was diagnosed for the first time during admission for DKA for 12 people and 6 people had confirmed sepsis. There were no significant differences in age at diagnosis of DM or biochemical characteristics. Conclusion: DKA was a common indication for admission for people with DM in the Medical Research Council the Gambia at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the majority of patients with DKA had type 2 DM. Further studies are needed to describe DKA in this setting more accurately.

Perception of insulin therapy among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Jos, North Central Nigeria

Background -The implementation of insulin in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus is often necessary for better glycaemic control. However, many still consider insulin therapy as the last resort. Several factors come to play in the acceptance of insulin as a form of therapy by patients. This study evaluated the perception of insulin therapy among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods- This was a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) Jos, North Central Nigeria. One hundred and eighty five persons (100 insulin naïve persons and 85 persons on insulin) were recruited consecutively. The insulin treatment appraisal scale (ITAS) was used to evaluate the perception of insulin therapy among these patients. Results- fifty five (64.7%) females were on insulin while 64 (64%) were insulin naïve. The mean age was 52 ± 11 years and 59 ± 10 years in those on insulin and insulin naïve persons respectively. Twenty one (24.7%) persons on insulin and 33 (33%) insulin naïve persons had tertiary level of education. Insulin naïve persons had higher mean total score of the 20 items, total score of the 16 negative items and total score of the 4 positive items compared with persons on insulin. Among persons on insulin, those with less than one year of education had a better perception of insulin therapy compared with persons who had six years or more of education; Duration of insulin use, gender and age had no impact on perception of insulin therapy. Conclusion- The perception of insulin therapy among persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus is poor