Ambulatory Flash Glucose Monitoring Device Detects Hypoglycemia and Time in Range in Children and Adolescents of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

Objective: The mainstay of diabetes control and management is glucose monitoring (GM). Improving glycemic control and decreasing glycemic variability is important to prevent microvascular complications of diabetes. Adherence to GM is a challenge in pediatric type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) patients. Furthermore, nighttime hypoglycemia (NTH) is a common complication of diabetes management; prevention and treatment of which is essential to improve quality of life. We aim to study the impact of flash GM device (FGMD) in detecting NTH and time in range (TIR) in children and adolescents of T1DM. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective observational study. Twenty children and adolescents of T1DM from North India, with mean age (range) of 7.15 years (3–13), were enrolled and applied FGMD. Episodes of NTH and average TIR were analyzed during one sensor application, i.e., 14 days. Results: The proportion of patients developing NTH after 14 days of insertion of device was 15 (75%) and 5 (25%) patients did not. The mean (standard deviation) duration of NTH in 24 h was 101.35 (136.02) min. The mean (range) percentage of TIR of our study subjects was 32.03% (0–61). Conclusion: Flash monitoring is a useful tool to improve adherence to GM, detecting hypoglycemia (diurnal and nocturnal) and TIR in children and adolescents with T1DM.

Keywords

• flash glucose monitoring device
• nighttime hypoglycemia
• time in range
• type 1 diabetes