Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) is a type of diabetes mellitus that makes the body cells are cannot to get glucose for energy due to low or no insulin secretion by the pancreas. And because of diabetic ketoacidosis, the body system cannot use glucose for energy and start breakdown stored fat for energy, however, this breakdown of fat produces toxic acid called ketones.


Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a type of diabetes mellitus that potentially life-threatening complication in diabetic patients. Diabetic ketoacidosis often happen in diabetes type 1 patient and many diabetes type 1 cases is first diagnosed after diabetic ketoacidosis. However, under certain circumstances, diabetic ketoacidosis can also happen in diabetes type 2.

Diabetic ketoacidosis first symptom can be come from previously undiagnosed diabetes, but it may also occur in known diabetics due to a variety of causes, such as inter-current illness or poor compliance with insulin therapy.

Diabetic ketoacidosis symptoms:

• Vomiting,
• dehydration,
• deep gasping breathing,
• confusion
• and occasionally coma.

Diabetic ketoacidosis usually diagnosed by blood and urine test, rarer forms of ketoacidosis by the presence of high blood sugar levels. The treatment for diabetic ketoacidosis includes intravenous fluids to correct dehydration, insulin to suppress the production of ketones bodies, treatment for any underlying causes such as infections, and close observation to prevent and identify complications.

Main Article - Diabetes type 1