You should always receive a written report every time you visit the hospital.
Make sure your care team has talked you through the report before you leave the hospital; here’s a summary of the key things you are likely to find on the report:
| Patient Identifiers | Name, DOB, Address, Insurance information etc. There will likely also be a section measuring height and weight. Over time, future reports may show the weight gain/loss trend. |
| Author of the document | Usually the doctor overseeing the patient, along with the date and time of examination. |
| Diagnosis | Confirmation of the diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes mellitus |
| Complications | If any diabetes-related complications were found they will be listed here (see Glossary), e.g. Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA), severe Hypoglycemia, retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy, macrovascular disease. It may also report “No complications”. |
| Compensation | There may be a statement of “Compensated” meaning treatment is working and the patient is stable (does not mean “cured”, there is no cure for T1D). “Decompensated” meaning the patient is still considered metabolically unstable and other treatments may still be required. |
| Samples / Collection | This section will contain the information about blood, urine and any other samples taken. The specific likely measurements are listed in the next few rows. |
| HbA1c (also sometimes just called A1c) | This is one of the most important measures your doctor will be watching, now and over time. It shows how high blood sugar has been over a period of the last 2-3 months. Hb = Haemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen A1c = A form of Haemoglobin that has sugar atached to it. This is very useful because it shows how effective treatment is over a period of months, and not just looking at the daily glucose swing or one specific measurement at that moment. How it works: Some of the sugar in your blood gets stuck to these red blood cells, the higher the blood sugar, the more gets stuck. Red blood cells live for about 2-3 months, so at any given time the amount of sugar stuck to your red blood cells indicates the sugar levels for that period of time. It’s reported as a %. For someone without diabetes below 5.7% is normal, 6.5% or higher is diabetes. Your doctor will determine what a “good” percentage should be based on your childs specific situation. What it doesn’t show: It can’t tell the difference between someone who has mostly stable blood sugar levels, and someone who has wild fluctuations of highs and lows. For this reason your doctor will likely also want to see a diary or Continuous Glucose Monitor report to see this trend. |
| Glycosuria | This measures the amount of glucose present in the urine. Kidneys will normally filter some glucose from the blood, and most of it is usually reabsorbed back into the blood again. If blood sugar levels stay too high, the kidneys can’t keep up and excess glucose is passed out in the urine. Normal levels should be 0 – 0.8mmol/l (0 – 15mg/dl). |
| Ketone bodies | Similar to glucose, excess ketones can be passed out in the urine. This is measured on a scale of: Negative: normal / safe Trace/Small: can be normal, but in Type 1 Diabetes it may be a warning sign if blood sugar is also high (early risk of DKA) Moderate/Large: high risk of DKA, immediate medical action needed |
| Capillary Glucose POCT (Point-of-care Testing) | This is the normal “finger-prick” blood glucose test. It provides the at-the-moment level of blood sugar. If this is the first report at diagnosis, this will likely be quite high, and will be used by the care team to determine how much insulin may be needed for immediate care. “Normal” is around 3.9 – 7.8 mmol/l or 70 – 140 mg/dl. Above 13.9mmol/l (250mg/dl) is already considered high risk, though it is common for patients to be first diagnosed / admitted with much higher numbers than this. Over 40mmol/l (720mg/dl) is not uncommon. According to the Guiness Book of Records (2025), the highest ever recorded was 147.6mmol/l (2,656mg/dl), the patient survived after urgent medical treatment but this was considered an atypical case. |
| Postprandial Glucose (PPG) (also sometimes Postprandial Glycemia – Insulin effect) | This is a measure used to determine the effectiveness of the type of insulin being used. It will usually indicate a time-frame after a meal at which the insulin effectiveness has been measured. This is because insulin does not work immediately, and different types of insulin work in different ways over time. The doctor will use this to measure, for example, how effectively the insulin is still working 2 hours after the meal. |
| Diuresis | This measures the amount of urine produced over time, and gives the doctor an indication of how healthily the kidneys are operating. A common standard for a “good” range is: 0.5 – 1.0 ml/kg/hour. So a 50kg child would produce in the range of 600-1200ml of urine per 24 hours. Values higher or lower than this might lead the doctor to investigate further for any possible issues, but it’s important to note that other factors like temperature, activity and fluid intake will affect this as well. |
| Subjective assessment | The report may include an assessment of how the patient themselves feels / has been feeling, any recent illnesses, loss of appetite or excessive thirst etc. |
| Objective assessment | The doctors overall assessment of the clinical condition of the patient. |
| Conclusion | The conclusion may indicate the overall level of compensation observed (i.e. how effectively is the current treatment managing the condition). For example, an early report might state “moderate compensation”, which would suggest treatment appears to be working but more time is needed to fully evaluate, and certain adjustments may still need to be made. |
| Prescription | This should contain a list of medical resources that the doctor prescribes for the patient. It may include, in addition to the insulin itself: Injection pens, disposable needles, sterilising wipes, glucose meter and test strips, sensors, pumps etc. It should also include the specific type and doses of insulin to be used throughout the day. In the case of a pump, this may be just a single type of insulin which is used continuously throughout the day, with additional amounts used at mealtimes. In the case of injection pens, there may be two types of insulin prescribed, one for daytime and meals and one for nighttime. Mealtime amounts may be a specific figure, or a range. To learn more about types of insulin check the Home page “Learn more” section. |
| Date of next appointment | Before leaving the hospital you should arrange the date and time of the next checkup. Every 3 months is common but your doctor will assess based on your childs individual circumstances. |