9. DIABETIC KETOACIDOSIS
Symptoms
• Polyuria, thirst
•Weight loss
•Weakness
• Nausea, vomiting
Signs
Dehydration
Hypotension (postural or
supine)
Cold extremities/
peripheral cyanosis
Tachycardia
*more common in type 1 diabetes
• Leg cramps
• Blurred vision
• Abdominal pain
• Air hunger (Kussmaul
breathing)
• Smell of acetone
• Hypothermia
• Delirium, drowsiness,
coma (10%)
HYPERGLYCEMIC HYPEROSMOLAR STATE
Symptoms
• Polyuria, thirst
• Leg cramps
• Altered mental status
• Lethargy
Signs
• Hypothermia
• Hypotension
• Tachycardia/bradycardia
• Severe Dehydration ( about 10-12 L fluid loss in a
100kg person)
CLINICAL FEATURES
10. INVESTIGATIONS
The following investigations are important but should not delay the
institution of intravenous fluid and insulin replacement:
• Venous blood: for urea and electrolytes, glucose,
bicarbonate and acid–base status (venous blood can be used in
portable and fixed blood gas analysers, and differences between
venous and arterial pH and bicarbonate are minor).
• Urine or blood analysis for ketones
• Electrocardiogram (ECG).
• Infection screen: full blood count, blood and urine
culture, C-reactive protein, chest X-ray. Although leucocytosis
invariably occurs in DKA, this represents a stress response and does
not necessarily indicate infection.
Plasma osmolarity = 2[Na+ ] + [glucose] + [urea]
The normal value is 280–296 mOsmol/L
11.
12. INDICATORS OF SEVERE DKA
• Blood ketones >6 mmol/L
• Bicarbonate <5 mmol/L
• Venous/arterial pH <7.0 (H+ >100
nmol/L)
• Hypokalaemia on admission (<3.5
mmol/L)
• Glasgow Coma Scale score < 12 or
abnormal AVPU scale
score (p. 188)
• O2 saturation <92% on air
• Systolic blood pressure <90 mmHg
• Heart rate >100 or <60 beats per minute
• Anion gap > 16 mmol/L
POOR PROGNOSTIC SIGNS OF
HHS
• Hypothermia
• hypotension (systolic blood
pressure <90 mmHg),
• tachy- or bradycardia,
• severe hypernatraemia (sodium
>160 mmol/L),
• serum osmolality >360
mOsmol/kg,
• presence of other serious
comorbidities