Evaluation of Metabolic and Hydroelectrolytic Disturbances in Patients Diagnosed with Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Abstract

Ketoacidosis is a life-threatening complication of diabetes mellitus, especially type 1 diabetic patients being predisposed to this condition. Ketoacidosis might occur also in other types of diabetes triggered by circumstances leading to shortage of insulin. The aim of the study was the assessment of metabolic, hydroelectrolytic disturbances and the relationship between different parameters in patients hospitalized with diabetic ketoacidosis. We evaluated the clinical state, parameters of blood-gas analyzer, biochemistry and hematology laboratory results of 32 patients admitted with diabetic ketoacidosis between January-November 2018 at the Department of Diabetology, Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases of the Emergency County Hospital in T�rgu Mureș. Demographic data, associated diseases, body mass index were also evaluated. The considered threshold of significance was 0.05. The distribution of type 1 and 2 diabetes was 40.6 and 46.9% in the studied group, 53.1% being male patients. Positive correlation could be observed between pH and base excess and between pH and bicarbonate values, while negative correlation could be found between triglyceridemia and body mass index (BMI). Severe hyperglycemia, very low pH values, glucosuria, ketonuria and electrolytic imbalances were very common in the studied patients. Pancreatitis, respiratory tract and urinary infections could be found in the background of ketoacidotic manifestations in the majority of the patients, dehydration occured in each of the cases. Many severe metabolic and hydroelectrolytic disturbances could be observed in the studied patients presenting diabetic ketoacidosis. Infectious diseases are the most common triggers of metabolic imbalance in diabetic patients.