ESPE Abstracts

Many factors contribute to the glycemic control in pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). The purpose of this IRB approved study was to determine if there was a significant correlation between the ability of pediatric patients with TiDM to accurately recognize and count carbohydrates and their hemoglobin A1C (HgbA1C). T1DM patients aged 12-17 years completed the Koontz PedCarbQuiz (PCQ) . Demographic and clinical data was extracted from the electronic health record. Subscales of Carb Recognition and Carb Counting were included from the Koontz PCQ. Spearman's correlation was conducted between HgbA1C, total PCQ score, Carb Recognition and Counting. Mann Whitney U test determined if there were differences between scores and insulin treatment. Significance was set at P<0. 05. The sample included 57 subjects with a median age of 14. 5 (IQR 11. 4, 17. 2) years. The median BMI percentile was 72. 3 (IQR 46. 8, 93. 5). About a third were categorized into the overweight and obese weight category (31%). Median HgbA1C was 9. 2% (IQR 7. 6, 10. 4%). Subjects treated with insulin pump had a significantly higher total PCQ score compared to those treated with MDI. There was a negative and significant correlation between total PCQ score and HgbA1C (rho = -0. 312, P=. 037) as well as Carb Recognition score (-0. 297, P=. 045). Carbohydrate recognition knowledge was higher in subjects treated with insulin pump even though the actual difference in scores was not of practice significance. As carbohydrate knowledge increased, HgbA1C decreased. It is important to assess this knowledge to focus the education when working with pediatric patients.