Ying-Ju Chen1, Chen-Chang Yang2, Lynn-Chu Huang3, Likwang Chen3, Chii-Min Hwu4. 1. Department of Emergency Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan. 2. Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; Division of Clinical Toxicology & Occupational Medicine, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. 3. Division of Preventive Medicine and Health Services Research, Institute of Population Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Miaoli, Taiwan. 4. Section of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Faculty of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: chhwu@vghtpe.gov.tw.
Abstract
AIMS: We analyze the time trends of hypoglycemia-related emergency department visits in Taiwan between 2000 and 2010, focusing on type 2 diabetic patients receiving antidiabetic agents. METHODS: From a national dataset containing longitudinal medical claims of one million persons, we ascertained 4479 hypoglycemia-related emergency department visits from 3184 type 2 diabetic patients for analysis. We used negative binomial regression to calculate the incidence rate ratios (IRRs) for comparing event rates of hypoglycemia-related emergency department visits in different study periods. RESULTS: Rates of hypoglycemia-related emergency department visits increased 4.8 folds from year 2000 to 2010 (adjusted IRR 4.88, 95% CI 3.94-6.05, P<0.001). Severe hypoglycemia requiring emergency department visits prevailed among women, older patients (≥ 65 years), and those not lived in the urban areas. CONCLUSIONS: Within a 10-year period, there was a substantial increase in the rates of hypoglycemia-related emergency department visits from type 2 diabetic patients in Taiwan. Appropriate risk management plans should be developed to prevent the occurrence of severe hypoglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes in Taiwan.
AIMS: We analyze the time trends of hypoglycemia-related emergency department visits in Taiwan between 2000 and 2010, focusing on type 2 diabeticpatients receiving antidiabetic agents. METHODS: From a national dataset containing longitudinal medical claims of one million persons, we ascertained 4479 hypoglycemia-related emergency department visits from 3184 type 2 diabeticpatients for analysis. We used negative binomial regression to calculate the incidence rate ratios (IRRs) for comparing event rates of hypoglycemia-related emergency department visits in different study periods. RESULTS: Rates of hypoglycemia-related emergency department visits increased 4.8 folds from year 2000 to 2010 (adjusted IRR 4.88, 95% CI 3.94-6.05, P<0.001). Severe hypoglycemia requiring emergency department visits prevailed among women, older patients (≥ 65 years), and those not lived in the urban areas. CONCLUSIONS: Within a 10-year period, there was a substantial increase in the rates of hypoglycemia-related emergency department visits from type 2 diabeticpatients in Taiwan. Appropriate risk management plans should be developed to prevent the occurrence of severe hypoglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes in Taiwan.