Severity and outcomes of patients with new-onset diabetes in cohort
| Characteristics | Overall, N=2198* | Year 1 (2019–2020), N=1015* | Year 2 (2020–2021), N=1183* | P value† |
| Measures of severity | ||||
| Triage urgency classification | ||||
| Immediate | 212 (9.6) | 89 (8.8) | 123 (10) | |
| Very urgent | 897 (41) | 421 (41) | 476 (40) | |
| Urgent | 532 (24) | 247 (24) | 285 (24) | |
| Non-urgent | 142 (6.5) | 68 (6.7) | 74 (6.3) | |
| Standard | 5 (0.2) | 2 (0.2) | 3 (0.3) | |
| Not documented | 391 (18) | 184 (18) | 207 (17) | |
| Unknown | 19 (0.9) | 4 (0.4) | 15 (1.3) | |
| pH | 7.32 (7.15–7.39) | 7.34 (7.19–7.39) | 7.30 (7.11–7.39) | <0.001 |
| Missing | 111 | 53 | 58 | |
| Fluid bolus ≥20 mL/kg | 225 (10) | 64 (6.3) | 161 (14) | <0.001 |
| Inotropes/vasopressors | 11 (0.5) | 4 (0.4) | 7 (0.6) | 0.5 |
| Mechanical ventilation | 20 (0.9) | 5 (0.5) | 15 (1.3) | 0.056 |
| Route of initial insulin administration | <0.001 | |||
| Subcutaneous | 1247 (57) | 621 (61) | 626 (53) | |
| Intravenous | 936 (43) | 390 (39) | 546 (47) | |
| Missing | 15 | 4 | 11 | |
| Presentation in DKA | <0.001 | |||
| Not in DKA | 1235 (56) | 620 (61) | 615 (52) | |
| Mild | 301 (14) | 140 (14) | 161 (14) | |
| Moderate | 268 (12) | 114 (11) | 154 (13) | |
| Severe | 394 (18) | 141 (14) | 253 (21) | |
| Disposition‡ | ||||
| Admission to inpatient ward | 1766 (80) | 828 (82) | 938 (79) | 0.2 |
| High-dependency unit | 345 (16) | 138 (14) | 207 (17) | 0.012 |
| Paediatric intensive care unit | 110 (5.0) | 38 (3.7) | 72 (6.1) | 0.012 |
| Critical care retrieval | 21 (1.0) | 10 (1.0) | 11 (0.9) | 0.9 |
| Transfer to other hospital | 68 (3.1) | 26 (2.6) | 42 (3.6) | 0.2 |
| Discharged home from ED | 25 (1.1) | 12 (1.2) | 13 (1.1) | 0.9 |
| Admitted to short stay unit | 40 (1.8) | 28 (2.8) | 12 (1.0) | 0.002 |
| Patient died | 1 (<0.1) | 0 (0) | 1 (<0.1) | >0.9 |
| Hospital length of stay (days) | 4 (2–5) | 4 (2–5) | 4 (2–5) | 0.2 |
| Missing | 12 | 3 | 9 | |
| Hospital length of stay >72 hours | 1587 (73) | 709 (70) | 878 (75) | 0.013 |
| Missing | 12 | 3 | 9 | |
*n (%), median (25%–75%).
†Pearson’s χ2 test, Fisher’s exact test, Wilcoxon rank-sum test.
‡Tick all that apply.
DKA, diabetic ketoacidosis; ED, emergency department.