April - June 2021, Volume 17, Issue 2

Panaitescu AM

Resuming Adequate Screening for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus During the Ongoing Covid-19 Pandemic

Acta Endo (Buc) 2021, 17 (2): 278-279
doi: 10.4183/aeb.2021.278

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a profound impact on antenatal care, forcing authorities to consider some medical services unessential in the pursuit of avoiding the valid risk of patient contamination. The oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) has been in some cases overlooked for screening in pregnancy, with potential detrimental consequences in terms of not diagnosing and treating gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). The number of tests has dropped by 35% in 2020 in our hospital. We make a plea for resuming OGTT at 24-28 weeks gestation at least for women considered at high risk.

Keywords: gestational diabetes mellitus, covid-19

Correspondence: Anca Maria Panaitescu MD, Filantropia Hospital, 11 Ion Mihalache blvd., Bucharest, 011161, Romania, E-mail: panaitescu.anca@yahoo.com