Ads
related to: diabetic ketoacidosis patient handout
Search results
Results From The WOW.Com Content Network
Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a potentially life-threatening complication of diabetes mellitus. [1] Signs and symptoms may include vomiting , abdominal pain , deep gasping breathing , increased urination , weakness, confusion and occasionally loss of consciousness . [ 1 ]
While ketosis refers to any elevation of blood ketones, ketoacidosis is a specific pathologic condition that results in changes in blood pH and requires medical attention. The most common cause of ketoacidosis is diabetic ketoacidosis but it can also be caused by alcohol, medications, toxins, and rarely, starvation. [citation needed]
Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is one of the life-threatening severe complications of diabetes that demands immediate attention and intervention. [7] It is considered a medical emergency and can affect both patients with T1D (type 1 diabetes) and T2D (type 2 diabetes), but it is more common in T1D. [8]
The advocacy organization Ketotic Hypoglycemia International defines pathologic ketotic hypoglycemia as recurrent, symptomatic episodes in which patients have beta-hydroxybutyrate levels ≥ 1.0 mmol/L and blood glucose levels < 70 mg/dL in the absence of triggers that would otherwise explain ketotic hypoglycemia. [2]
Ketoacidosis is most commonly caused by a deficiency of insulin in type 1 diabetes or late stage type 2 diabetes but can also be the result of chronic heavy alcohol use, salicylate poisoning, or isopropyl alcohol ingestion. [1] [2] Ketoacidosis causes significant metabolic derangements and is a life-threatening medical emergency. [2]
If the patient is known to have diabetes, the diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis is usually suspected from the appearance and a history of 1–2 days of vomiting. The diagnosis is confirmed when the usual blood chemistries in the emergency department reveal a high blood sugar level and severe metabolic acidosis.
This occurs earlier in a person's life, leading to patients being insulin dependent, and the lack of natural insulin makes patients prone to a condition called diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Type 2 diabetes is different in that it is usually caused by insulin resistance in the body in older patients leading to beta cell burnout over time, and is ...
Type 1 presents abruptly following a pre-clinical phase, while type 2 has a more insidious onset; patients may remain asymptomatic for many years. [23] Diabetic ketoacidosis is a medical emergency that occurs most commonly in type 1, but may also occur in type 2 if it has been longstanding or if the individual has significant β-cell ...