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OBJECTIVE: Despite evidence that continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) use is associated with lower HbA1c among children with type 1 diabetes, uptake of this technology remains lower among those with difficulty accessing health care, including those from lower socioeconomic status backgrounds and racial and ethnic minorities. In this study, we sought to explore the impact of rural location in use of CGM technology to guide patient and provider decision making. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: In this retrospective study of electronic health record demographic and visits data from a single diabetes program from 1 January 2018 through 31 December 2021, we compared the odds of completing a visit with (+) and without (−) CGM interpretation between rural-urban commuting area (RUCA) designations. RESULTS: Among the 13,645 visits completed by 2,008 patients with type 1 diabetes younger than age 18 years, we found children living in small rural towns had 31% lower odds (6.3% of CGM+ visits, 8.6% of CGM− visits; adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.69, 95% CI 0.51–0.94) and those living in isolated rural towns had 49% lower odds (2.0% of CGM+ visits, 3.4% of CGM− visits; aOR 0.51, 95% CI 0.28–0.92) of completing a CGM-billed clinic visit compared with those living in urban areas (70.0% of CGM+ visits, 67.2% of CGM− visits). We also found significant differences in CGM-billed visits by neighborhood deprivation as well as race/ethnicity and insurance payor. CONCLUSIONS: Geographic location presents a meaningful barrier to access to care for patients living with type 1 diabetes. Further work is needed to identify and address the needs of children and families living in rural areas to improve the care of these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Although mortality from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among youth with type 1 diabetes is rare, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 is associated with increased pediatric hospitalizations for diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). To clarify whether the relationship between COVID-19 and DKA is coincidental or causal, we compared tissue glucose disposal (TGD) during standardized treatment for DKA between pediatric patients with COVID-19 and those without COVID-19.Research Design and Methods: We retrospectively compared TGD during standardized therapy for DKA in all children with preexisting type 1 diabetes with or without COVID-19. Cases were assessed beginning with the first case of COVID-19-positive DKA on 19 June 2020 through 2 February 2022.Results: We identified 93 COVID-19-negative patients and 15 COVID-19-positive patients who were treated for DKA, with similar baseline characteristics between groups. Median TGD was 46% lower among patients who had COVID-19 compared with those who did not (P = 0.013).Conclusions: These results suggest that COVID-19 provokes a metabolic derangement over and above factors that typically contribute to pediatric DKA. These findings underscore the significant and direct threat posed by COVID-19 in pediatric type 1 diabetes and emphasize the importance of mitigation and monitoring including through vaccination as a primary prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]