Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Diabetic Ketoacidosis Patients Treated in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: A Single-Center Cross-Sectional Study

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a common complication of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) in children. Here, we explored the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the occurrence and severity of DKA in children in southern Croatia. The demographics and clinical and laboratory findings of all children and adolescents aged 0-18 years diagnosed with DKA and admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) of the University Hospital of Split, Croatia from January 2013 to May 2023 were retrospectively collected. The participants were divided into two groups: (1) the pre-pandemic group (presenting before mid-March 2020) and (2) the pandemic group (presenting afterwards). A total of 91 patients were included, 68 in the pre-pandemic and 23 in the pandemic group. The admission rate was similar (