Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Prevention

If you have type 1 diabetes, you usually can prevent diabetic ketoacidosis by following the insulin regimen and diet prescribed by your doctor and by testing your blood glucose regularly. If your body is stressed by an infection, ketoacidosis can develop within hours, and you may not be able to prevent it. It is important for you to check your blood sugar more frequently during an infection, so you can adjust your treatment. It is also important for you to recognize that vomiting and abdominal pain may be signs of ketoacidosis, so that you can get medical help quickly.

To help make sure that you receive proper emergency treatment for diabetic ketoacidosis if you are away from home, wear a medical identification necklace or bracelet that identifies you as a diabetic. This will help emergency personnel to recognize your problem quickly if you are among strangers and you are too sick to speak for yourself.

Treatment

When you are in the hospital, your diabetic ketoacidosis will be treated with insulin to lower your blood glucose level. You will also receive a large volume of fluids intravenously (injected into a vein). Your blood glucose and acid levels will be monitored frequently, and you will be given potassium supplements to restore your body's supply of this essential mineral. Until your blood chemistry returns to normal, your vital signs (temperature, pulse, respirations, blood pressure) and urine output will be monitored. If an infection has triggered your episode of ketoacidosis, antibiotics or other medications will be used to treat the infection.