Complications of Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) is a serious disease with complications that may have fatal results in some cases. DKA is defined as an insulin deficiency that occurs when glucose fails to enter insulin into muscles such as: liver and adipose tissue. When there is an accumulation of ketones, it leads to metabolic acidosis which causes nausea and vomiting, as a result fluid and electrolytes are loss (Gibbs). There are many complications of diabetic ketoacidosis, some of the most prevalent are: Cerebral Edema, Hypolglycemia, and Acute Pancreatitis.

Cerebral Edema is a rare but fatal complication of diabetic ketoacidosis. To thoroughly describe the clinical signs of cerebral edema is characterized by “deterioration in the level of consciouness, with lethargy, decrease in arousal and headache. The timing of the development of cerebral edema is variable, with most cases occurring 4 to 12 hours after starting treatment. Several case reports showed presence of cerebral edema before the itntiation of therapy. A method of clinical diagnosis based on bedside evaluation of a neurological state in DKA have been developed.” (Pandey)

Primarly, cerebral edema occurs in children. Studies show that the largest reported cases are 95% with patients younger than 20 years of age. One third of these cases occur in patients younger than 5 years of age. Generally, after the initiation of therapy, within 3-12 hours it occur in children who seem to be metabolically returning to normal. (Pandey) Insulin was discovered in 1922, prior to, “the moratality due to DKA was virtually 100%. With the discovery of insulin, antiboiotics, intravenous potassium replacement and use of norepinephrine for blood pressure support, mortality rates ranging from 2.5%...

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... this terrible disease, however, through maintaining of a healthy, and nutritious diet, taking my medication as precribed, and excercising as needed, I may someday reverse the conditions of this disease. Being discpline is the key.

Works Cited

Forecast, Diabetic. "Vaccine advances." American Diabetes Association (2013): 1. Document.

Gibbs, Cathrine. Diabetic Ketoacidosis: a learning zone article improved Catherine Gibb's knowledge of diabetic ketoacidosis. Ashford, Kent: Royal College opf Nursing Publishing Company (RCN), 2010. Document.

Pandey, Manmohan K., et al. "Neurological complications in diabetic ketoacidosis-before and after insulin therapy." 2014. Document.

Peragallo-Dittko, Virginia. "Acute Complications." RN, 58.8 (1995): 36+. Document.

Rizvi, Ali A. "Serum amylase and lipase in diabetic ketoacidosis." Diabetes Care (2003): 3193. Document.