Diabetic Ketoacidosis
BASICS
BASICS

BASICS
DESCRIPTION
DESCRIPTION
DESCRIPTION
- A life-threatening medical emergency which most commonly occurs in patients with type 1 diabetes
- Characterized by a biochemical triad of hyperglycemia, ketosis, and high anion gap metabolic acidosis
- Rarely, it can occur in the absence of hyperglycemia (i.e., euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis [DKA]) during pregnancy and in individuals taking sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors (1).
- System(s) affected: endocrine/metabolic, neurologic
EPIDEMIOLOGY
EPIDEMIOLOGY
EPIDEMIOLOGY
Incidence
Incidence
Incidence
Incidence by age group: 1 to 17 years (10.1%), 18 to 44 years (53.3%), 45 to 64 years (27.1%), 65 to 84 years (8.7%), and ≥85 years (0.8%)
ETIOLOGY AND PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
ETIOLOGY AND PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
ETIOLOGY AND PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
- Impaired glucose utilization secondary to insulin deficiency, leading to the activation of counter regulatory mechanisms (gluconeogenesis, glycogenolysis, proteolysis) which further increase blood glucose level and trigger ketone bodies production; resulting ketonemia and hyperglycemia lead to osmotic diuresis, dehydration, electrolytes disturbances, and acidosis.
- Leading causes include medication noncompliance and infection. Other precipitating factors are:
- First presentation of DM
- Myocardial infarction (MI); cerebrovascular accident (CVA)
- Medications (corticosteroids, sympathomimetics [e.g., dobutamine and terbutaline], atypical antipsychotics, SGLT2 inhibitors)
- Alcohol and illicit drugs (cocaine)
- Trauma; surgery
- Emotional stress and psychiatric comorbidities
- Pregnancy
RISK FACTORS
RISK FACTORS
RISK FACTORS
- Type 1 DM
- Ketosis-prone type 2 DM (Hispanic and African American ethnicity, G6PD)
- Euglycemic ketoacidosis specially with SGLT2 inhibitor drug use
- COVID-19 infection
- Younger age at the time of DKA hospitalization, higher A1C level, lower physical activity, lower socioeconomic status, and psychiatric symptoms have been associated with increased rates of DKA
GENERAL PREVENTION
GENERAL PREVENTION
GENERAL PREVENTION
- Close monitoring of glucose during periods of stress, illness, and trauma with “sick day” management instructions
- Careful insulin control and regular monitoring of blood glucose levels along with education on symptom recognition
COMMONLY ASSOCIATED CONDITIONS
COMMONLY ASSOCIATED CONDITIONS
COMMONLY ASSOCIATED CONDITIONS
>30% of patients have features of both DKA and hyperosmolar hyperglycemic syndrome (HHS).
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