My moms a diabetic and was in DKA yesterday?

2 Comments

1. buffalo says:

   December 6, 2011 at 4:05 pm

   Frequent blood glucose monitoring at home makes DKA less likely, as this allows them to promptly search for possible reasons for unexpectedly high blood glucose values before the condition progresses to DKA.

   The overall mortality rate for DKA is 2% or less. The presence of deep coma at the time of diagnosis, hypothermia, and oliguria are signs of poor prognosis.

   The prognosis of properly treated patients with diabetic ketoacidosis is excellent, especially in younger patients if intercurrent infections are absent. The worst prognosis usually is observed in older patients with severe intercurrent illnesses (eg, myocardial infarction, sepsis, or pneumonia), especially when these patients are treated outside an intensive care unit.

   When DKA is treated properly, it rarely produces residual effects. With modern fluid management, the mortality rate of DKA is about 2% per episode. Before the discovery of insulin in 1922, the mortality rate was 100%. In the last 20 years, mortality rates from DKA have markedly decreased, from 7.96% to 0.67%.[6]

   DKA accounts for 14% of all hospital admissions of patients with diabetes and 16% of all diabetes-related fatalities. A fetal mortality rate as high as 30% is associated with DKA. The rate is as high as 60% in diabetic ketoacidosis with coma. Fetal death typically occurs in women with overt diabetes, but it may occur with gestational diabetes. In children younger than 10 years, diabetic ketoacidosis causes 70% of diabetes-related fatalities.

   The best results are observed in patients treated in intensive care units during the first 1-2 days of hospitalization. The overall mortality rate from DKA ranges from 1-10% of all DKA admissions. A high mortality rate among nonhospitalized patients illustrates the necessity of early diagnosis and implementation of effective prevention programs.

   Cerebral edema remains the most common cause of mortality, particularly in young children and adolescents.[7] Cerebral edema frequently results from rapid intracellular fluid shifts. Other causes of mortality include severe hypokalemia, adult respiratory distress syndrome, and comorbid states (eg, pneumonia, acute myocardial infarction).

   A heightened understanding of the pathophysiology of DKA along with proper monitoring and correction of electrolytes has resulted in a significant reduction in the overall mortality rate from this life-threatening condition in most developed countries.

   Take care
   BUFF
2. Mack T says:

   December 6, 2011 at 4:05 pm

   They will need to do something to stabilize her blood sugar.