THIS week's contributor is Sally Benedek, Pharmacist, Diabetes Consultant & Trainer and Professional Services Account Manager at instigo Pharmacy Consulting - Know the Four T's of Type One Diabetes: In Practice, I have found the diagnosis of type 1 diabetes is being delayed in children due to a lack of awareness of the early signs of type 1 diabetes, by parents and by healthcare professionals. The consequence of this can be very serious. The onset of type 1, especially compared to type 2, is rapid and if left untreated can lead to diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), which is a life-threatening condition and can be fatal.
Diabetes UK developed the "Four T's" campaign to promote the awareness of the early signs of type 1 diabetes. Education campaigns, not only in the UK, but in parts of Australia too, have significantly reduced the proportion of children presenting to hospital with DKA at time of type 1 diagnosis.
The most common and early symptoms of type 1 diabetes are polydipsia, polyuria, lethargy, and unexplained weight loss. These are represented in the "Four T's" campaign as Thirst, Toilet, Tired, Thinner.
Unfortunately, there is an average of seven new cases of type 1 diabetes each day in Australia1 so it is important that awareness is raised. Make sure you and your pharmacy team are aware of the "Four T's" to recognise symptoms so patients can then be referred promptly to the doctor or emergency department for early diagnosis and treatment. The earlier the diagnosis, the better outcomes for the patient and less stress for their families.
1https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/diabetes/diabetes-snapshot/contents/how-many-australians-have-diabetes/type-1-diabetes
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 21 Jan 19
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