ISPAD Clinical Practice Consensus Guidelines 2006?2007 Definition, epidemiology and classification

DefinitionDiabetes mellitus (DM) is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by chronic hyperglycaemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both.The abnormalities in carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism that are found in diabetes are due to deficient action of insulin on target tissues.If ketones are present in the blood or urine, treatment is urgent because ketoacidosis can evolve rapidly. Diagnostic criteria for diabetes in childhood and adolescenceDiagnostic criteria for diabetes are based on blood glucose measurements and the presence or absence of symptoms (E) (1, 2).Three ways to diagnose diabetes are possible and each, in the absence of unequivocal hyperglycaemia, must be confirmed, on a subsequent day, by any one of the three methods given in Table 1.d Diabetes in children usually presents with characteristic symptoms such as polyuria, polydipsia, blurring of vision, and weight loss, in association with glycosuria and ketonuria.d In its most severe form, ketoacidosis, or rarely a non-ketotic hyperosmolar state, may develop and lead to stupor, coma, and in absence of effective treatment, death.d The diagnosis is usually confirmed quickly by measurement of a marked elevation of the blood glucose level.In this situation, if ketones are present