Microalbuminuria in type 1 diabetes mellitus children in University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Nigeria.

INTRODUCTION

glycaemic control is usually best achieved using the basal bolus regimen, however, this is not always available in resource-limited settings. Long-term complications like renal parenchymal disease are consequences of poor glycaemic control. Screening type 1 diabetes patients irrespective of their disease duration was used to buttress the need for ethical principles of justice to be incorporated in the care of type 1 diabetes children.

METHODS

urine albumin creatinine ratio (UAC) was calculated for 20 type 1 diabetes mellitus children in the endocrinology clinic after submitting early morning urine over a 4-month period. The calculated ratio was compared between duration of disease (< 5 years and > 5 years) and between insulin regimen types (mixtard and basal bolus). Repeat tests were done for children who had elevated UAC ratio levels after 2 months.

RESULTS

there were 5 males and 15 females and the mean UAC ratio of the cohort was 123mg/g with a range of 5.30 - 906 mg/g. Twelve children (8 diagnosed less than 5 years) had UAC ratio ≥ 30mg/g with a mean of 193.15. The repeat mean UAC ratio for these was 144.35 mg/g. Children who had diabetes for more than 5 years and were on mixtard had higher UAC ratio than those with diabetes < 5 years and on basal bolus.

CONCLUSION

the prevalence of microalbuminuria is high in our cohort of type 1 diabetes children and these were children on mixtard and had diabetes greater than 5 years.