Level of implementation of guidelines on screening and diagnosis of gestational diabetes: A national survey

Abstract

Aims: To describe the degree of diffusion and acceptance of national guideline on screening and diagnosis of gestational diabetes (GDM) among Italian diabetes centers and to detect possible areas for benchmarking.

Methods: In 2013 the Italian Diabetes in Pregnancy Study Group structured a national survey, focused on GDM screening and diagnostic procedures, that was administered to diabetologists.

Results: Overall, 122 diabetologists of 122 different diabetes centers (21.7% territorial, 78.3% hospital/University) completed the questionnaire. All respondents declared to execute a 75 g-oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) as diagnostic test. Almost one in five centers preferred a universal screening procedure, the others executing a selective risk factors-based screening. In patients at high risk for GDM the OGTT was performed at 16-18 weeks' gestation in 84.0% of the cases; only 6.5% of respondents preferred to execute it as soon as possible; and 9.5% used to wait until 24-28 weeks' gestation. In the case of fasting plasma glucose (FPG) ≥ 5.1 mmol/l (92 mg/dl), two third of respondents used to proceed with the execution of the complete diagnostic OGTT, the others considering sufficient the FPG value for the diagnosis.

Conclusions: Good level of reception of national recommendations was documented. The diagnostic procedure was generally accepted and applied. Some criticisms were specifically linked to the choice of universal or risk factor-based screening procedure, and to the right time for executing the OGTT in women at high risk.

Keywords: Diagnostic test; Gestational diabetes; Screening procedure.