Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Diabetic Ketoacidosis: Introduction

When diabetics get too high blood sugars, the body creates "ketones" as a by-product of breaking down fats. These ketones cause blood acidity which causes "acidosis" of the blood, leading to Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA), This is a very dangerous condition that can lead to coma and death. It is also called "diabetic acidosis", "ketosis", "ketoacidosis" or "diabetic coma".

DKA is a common way for new Type 1 diabetics to be diagnosed. If they fail to seek medical advice on symptoms like urination and weight loss, they may go into DKA without days or weeks. DKA can also occur in Type 1 diabetics and late-stage Type 2 diabetics who neglect their basic blood sugar control (i.e. non-compliance with insulin treatment), or who accidentally get an extreme high from problems such as sick days, injury, surgery, stress, missed insulin doses, and so on.

Whereas Type 1 diabetics tend to get DKA when they go high, Type 2 diabetics often retain enough pancreas function to avoid ketones. In this case, blood acidity does not occur, but it is still dangerous because severe dehydration can lead to HHNS which is almost as dangerous as DKA.

Symptoms of Diabetic Ketoacidosis

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Breath odor
• Sweet-smelling fruity acetone breath
• Breathing difficulty
• more symptoms...»

See full list of 11 symptoms of Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Home Diagnostic Testing

Home medical testing related to Diabetic Ketoacidosis:

• High Cholesterol: Home Testing:
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  • Home Blood Pressure Test Devices
• High Blood Pressure: Home Testing
  • Home Blood Pressure Hypertension Tests
  • Home Blood Pressure Monitors
  • Home Heart Tests
• Heart Health: Home Testing:
  • Heart Rate Monitors
  • Irregular Heartbeat Detection
  • Heart Electrocardiogram (ECG)
  • Home Blood Pressure Testing
  • Home Cholesterol Testing
• Thyroid: Home Testing:
  • Home Thyroid Function Testing
  • Home TSH Tests
  • Home Adrenal Function Tests
• Diet & Weight Loss: Home Testing:
  • Home Weight Testing
  • Home Body Fat Testing (BMI)
  • Home Body Fat Monitoring
  • Home Fitness Testing
• Adrenal Gland Health: Home Testing:
  • Home Adrenal Function Testing
  • Home Thyroid Function Tests
• Kidney Health: Home Testing:
  • Home Kidney Testing
  • Home Microalbumin Tests (Kidney)
  • Home Urine Protein Tests (Kidney)
  • Home Urinary Tract Infection Test Kits
• Diabetes: Related Home Testing:
  • Home Diabetes Testing
  • Home Blood Glucose Test Kits
  • Home Urine Glucose Tests
  • Home Urine Ketone Tests
  • Home Diabetes HbA1c Tests
  • Home Microalbumin Tests (Kidney)
  • Home Urine Protein Tests (Kidney)
  • Home Kidney Health Tests
  • Home Eye Health Tests
• more tests...»

Diabetic Ketoacidosis: Complications

Read more about complications of Diabetic Ketoacidosis.

Medical Textbooks Online about Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Diagnostic Tests for Diabetic Ketoacidosis

• Urine ketone tests
• Blood tests
• See also tests for diabetes
• more tests...»

Read more about tests for Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Wrongly Diagnosed with Diabetic Ketoacidosis?

• Misdiagnosis of Diabetic Ketoacidosis
• Failure to diagnose Diabetic Ketoacidosis
• Hidden causes of Diabetic Ketoacidosis (possibly wrongly diagnosed)
• Undiagnosed: Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Diabetic Ketoacidosis: Self Assessment Tools

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• Stress -- Self Assessment Tools
• Exercise -- Self Assessment Tools
• Smoking -- Self Assessment Tools
• Weight Management -- Self Assessment Tools
• Heart Disease -- Self Assessment Tools
• Fertility -- Self Assessment Tools
• more tools...»

Diabetic Ketoacidosis: Medical Mistakes

• Obesity -- Health Mistakes
• Diabetes -- Health Mistakes
• Hypertension -- Health Mistakes
• Cholesterol -- Health Mistakes
• Metabolic Syndrome -- Health Mistakes
• more mistakes...»

Diabetic Ketoacidosis: Marketplace Products, Discounts & Offers

Products, offers and promotion categories available for Diabetic Ketoacidosis:

• Diabetes products & offers »
• Dieting & Weight management: products & offers »
• Heart health products & offers »
• Senior Health
• High cholesterol
• more product offers...»

Diabetic Ketoacidosis: Undiagnosed Conditions

Commonly undiagnosed diseases in related medical categories:

• Chronic Major Diseases that are commonly Undiagnosed:
  • High Cholesterol -- Undiagnosed
  • Heart Disease -- Undiagnosed
  • Cancer -- Undiagnosed
  • Depression -- Undiagnosed
  • Type 2 Diabetes -- Undiagnosed
  • Type 1 Diabetes -- Undiagnosed
  • Hypertension -- Undiagnosed
  • Hemochromatosis -- Undiagnosed
  • Metabolic Syndrome -- Undiagnosed
• more undiagnosed conditions...»

In-Depth Reports: Diagnosis and Misdiagnosis

Diabetes diagnosis and misdiagnosis (In-Depth Report): Detailed report on diabetes misdiagnoses, rare curable types, and less common diagnostic issues....read full report »

Read more about Misdiagnosis and Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Misdiagnosis and Diabetic Ketoacidosis

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Heart attacks can be undiagnosed: Although the most severe symptoms of heart attack are hard to miss, there are varying degrees of severity. It is altogether too common for...read more »

Heart attacks can be overdiagnosed: Although many people die from heart attacks, there are also many cases where people fear that they have a heart attack, but actually have something milder. Some of the conditions which may be ...read more »

Cluster of diseases with difficult diagnosis issues: There is a well-known list of medical conditions that are all somewhat difficult to diagnose, and all can present in a variety of different...read more »

Alzheimer's disease over-diagnosed: The well-known disease of Alzheimer's disease is often over-diagnosed. Patients tend to assume that any memory loss or forgetulness symptom might be Alzheimer...read more »

Dementia may be a drug interaction: A common scenario in aged care is for a patient to show mental decline to dementia. Whereas this can, of course,...read more »

Tremor need not be Parkinson's disease: There is the tendency to believe that any tremor symptom, or shakiness, means Parkinson's disease. The reality is that there are various possibilities, such as benign essential tremor,...read more »

Poorly healing leg rashes a classic sign of chronic disease: Recurring leg rashes, or poorly healing leg rashes, are a classic sign of undiagnosed diabetes, particularly of...read more »

Leg cramps at night a classic sign: The symptom of having leg muscle cramps, particularly at night, is a classic sign of undiagnosed diabetes. However, there are also various other causes. See causes of leg cramps or misdiagnosis of...read more »

Rare diseases misdiagnosed as Parkinson's disease: A rare genetic disorder is often misdiagnosed as Parkinson's disease for men in their 50's. The disease Fragile X disorder can show only mild...read more »

Over-diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension in obese patients: A diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension, particularly pulmonary arterial hypertension, is often a...read more »

Obesity-related conditions undiagnosed in children: A variety of conditions are associated with obesity (see obesity), but these tend to be...read more »

Misdiagnosed weight-related causes of infertility: A woman's weight status can affect her level of fertility. Although obesity or overweight can in themselves reduce fertility, there are other weight-related or...read more »

Read more about Misdiagnosis and Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Diabetic Ketoacidosis: Research Doctors & Specialists

Research related physicians and medical specialists:

• Diabetes & Endocrinology Specialists:
  • Diabetes, Endocrinology & Metabolism
  • Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility
  • Pediatric Endocrinology (Child Hormones)
• Cholesterol Specialists:
  • Clinical Lipidology (Cholesterol/Triglycerides)
• Cardiac (Heart) Specialists:
  • Cardiology (Heart specialists)
  • Pediatric Cardiology (Child Heart Specialists)
  • Cardiothoracic Surgery
  • Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology
  • Interventional Cardiology
• Senior Health Specialists (Geriatrics):
  • Geriatric Medicine (Senior Health Specialist)
  • Geriatric Psychiatry (Senior Mental Health)
• more specialists...»

Other doctor, physician and specialist research services:

• Rate Your Doctor Online
• Research Your Doctor Online
• Review Patient Surveys About Your Doctor
• Research local specialists including ratings, affiliations, and sanctions.

Hospitals & Clinics: Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Research quality ratings and patient safety measures for medical facilities in specialties related to Diabetic Ketoacidosis:

• Heart Health (Cardiac Care) -- Hospital Quality Ratings
• Senior Health -- Hospital Quality Ratings
• Nursing Homes & Aged Care Facilities -- Quality Ratings
• more hospital ratings...»

Hospital & Clinic quality ratings » »

Choosing the Best Hospital: More general information, not necessarily in relation to Diabetic Ketoacidosis, on hospital performance and surgical care quality:

• 50 Best Hospitals Report
• Outstanding Patient Experinece Award Winning Hospitals
• Women's Health Best Hospitals
• Patient Safety
• Hospital Quality and Clinical Excellence Study (2009)

Diabetic Ketoacidosis: Rare Types

Rare types of diseases and disorders in related medical categories:

• Chronic Major Diseases -- Rare Types:
  • High Cholesterol -- Rare Types
  • Heart Disease -- Rare Types
  • Cancer -- Rare Types
  • Depression -- Rare Types
  • Type 2 Diabetes -- Rare Types
  • Type 1 Diabetes -- Rare Types
  • Hypertension -- Rare Types
  • Hemochromatosis -- Rare Types
  • Metabolic Syndrome -- Rare Types
• more rare diseases...»

Causes of Diabetic Ketoacidosis

• Diabetes
• Type 1 diabetes
• Type 2 diabetes
• Starvation
• Fructose-1, 6-diphosphatase deficiency
• more causes...»

See full list of 30 causes of Diabetic Ketoacidosis

More information about causes of Diabetic Ketoacidosis:

• Underlying causes of Diabetic Ketoacidosis
• Diabetic Ketoacidosis as a complication caused by other conditions
• Diabetic Ketoacidosis as a symptom
• Medical news summaries relating to Causes of Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Treatments for Diabetic Ketoacidosis

• Emergency treatment - DKA is a medical emergency.
• Hospitalization
• Treatment of any underlying condition
• Intravenous glucose - if ketosis is caused by starvation
• See also treatment of diabetes
• more treatments...»

Read more about treatments for Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Latest Treatments for Diabetic Ketoacidosis

• IV fluids
• Insulin infusion
• Potassium phosphate
• Potassium chloride
• Sodium carbonate
• more treatments...»

Read more about the latest treatments for Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Evidence Based Medicine Research for Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Medical research articles related to Diabetic Ketoacidosis include:

• Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion for the treatment of diabetes (review)
• Standards of medical care in diabetes. I. Classification and diagnosis.
• Standards of medical care in diabetes. V. Diabetes care.
• Nutrition recommendations and interventions for diabetes: a position statement of the American Diabetes Association.
• Standards of medical care in diabetes. VIII. Diabetes care in specific settings.
• Evidence-based emergency medicine/critically appraised topic. Is fluid therapy associated with cerebral edema in children with diabetic ketoacidosis?
• Glucose control, organ failure, and mortality in pediatric intensive care
• more research...»

Click here to find more evidence-based articles on the TRIP Database

Videos for Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Patient Surveys for Diabetic Ketoacidosis

• Patient Profile Survey
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• Survey about the symptoms of your Diabetic Ketoacidosis
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Prognosis for Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Prognosis for Diabetic Ketoacidosis: Usually good if treated, but can be fatal without treatment.

More about prognosis of Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Reseach about Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Visit our research pages for current research about Diabetic Ketoacidosis treatments.

Clinical Trials for Diabetic Ketoacidosis

The US based website ClinicalTrials.gov lists information on both federally and privately supported clinical trials using human volunteers.

Some of the clinical trials listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for Diabetic Ketoacidosis include:

• Use of Insulin Glargine to Treat Diabetic Ketoacidosis - This study is currently recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - Insulin Glargine
• Use of the Atkins Diet for Adults With Intractable Epilepsy - This study is currently recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006)
• Use of the Atkins Diet for Adolescents With Chronic Daily Headache. - This study is currently recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006)
• Use of the Atkins Diet for Children With Intractable Epilepsy: a Randomized Comparison of Daily Carbohydrate Limits - This study is currently recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006)
• more trials...»

Read more about Clinical Trials for Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Diabetic Ketoacidosis: Broader Related Topics

• Acidosis
• more types...»

Types of Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Stories from Users Related to Diabetic Ketoacidosis

• Ketoacidosis
• Diabetic Ketoacidosis
• DKA showing on ECG as Extensive MI

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User Interactive Forums

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Definitions of Diabetic Ketoacidosis:

Complication of diabetes resulting from severe insulin deficiency coupled with an absolute or relative increase in glucagon concentration; metabolic acidosis is caused by the breakdown of adipose stores and resulting increased levels of free fatty acids; glucagon accelerates the oxidation of the free fatty acids producing excess ketone bodies (ketosis). - (Source - Diseases Database)

Acidosis with an accumulation of ketone bodies; occurs primarily in diabetes mellitus - (Source - WordNet 2.1)