Aversion to Hospital Admission Due to Fear of COVID Infection Leading to Fatality From Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a potentially life-threatening condition that occurs in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) where the decrease in the insulin level leads to a state of metabolic acidosis and hyperglycemia. Based on the literature review, the risk of severity of DKA in children was significantly associated with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) cases during the first wave of the pandemic. This could be attributed to social distancing restrictions which delayed hospital presentation and timely treatment and interventions. We present the case of a 15-year-old female, with non-insulin-dependent diabetes (type 2), who presented during the COVID-19 pandemic with severe DKA from another hospital. She had elevated glucose level at home for three days that was worsening but her parents continue to manage the patient at home out of fear of the patient contracting COVID-19 if she was brought to the hospital. After she deteriorated, the parents took her to the nearest hospital which did not have a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). She was immediately transferred to our facility. The patient was intubated immediately on arrival because of altered mental status possibly due to cerebral edema from severe metabolic acidosis and elevated glucose level. The patient rapidly progressed into shock, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). She was managed aggressively with vasopressors, fluid resuscitation, and insulin drip. She had four cardiac arrests for which she was resuscitated. Despite all efforts, she subsequently expired less than 24 hours after admission. We intend on shedding light on an emerging phenomenon due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, wherein due to the fear of contracting COVID-19, many parents opt to keep and manage sick children at home. This report highlights the important role that the aversion of presenting to medical establishments out of fear of contracting COVID-19 may have led to the untimely and preventable death of our patient. It also outlines the importance of future educational reforms toward changing the patient and family’s perception of hospitals and medical institutions, especially in children with pre-existing chronic medical conditions.