COVID-19 Exacerbates Insulin Resistance During Diabetic Ketoacidosis in Pediatric Patients With Type 1 Diabetes

Abstract

OBJECTIVE Although mortality from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among youth with type 1 diabetes is rare, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 is associated with increased pediatric hospitalizations for diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). To clarify whether the relationship between COVID-19 and DKA is coincidental or causal, we compared tissue glucose disposal (TGD) during standardized treatment for DKA between pediatric patients with COVID-19 and those without COVID-19. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We retrospectively compared TGD during standardized therapy for DKA in all children with preexisting type 1 diabetes with or without COVID-19. Cases were assessed beginning with the first case of COVID-19–positive DKA on 19 June 2020 through 2 February 2022. RESULTS We identified 93 COVID-19–negative patients and 15 COVID-19–positive patients who were treated for DKA, with similar baseline characteristics between groups. Median TGD was 46% lower among patients who had COVID-19 compared with those who did not (P = 0.013). CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that COVID-19 provokes a metabolic derangement over and above factors that typically contribute to pediatric DKA. These findings under-score the significant and direct threat posed by COVID-19 in pediatric type 1 diabetes and emphasize the importance of mitigation and monitoring including through vaccination as a primary prevention.