What Causes Diabetic Ketoacidosis?

When a person with diabetes does not get the needed doses of insulin, sugar cannot be stored in your cells as an energy source. As a result, sugar builds up in the blood. The body then resorts to burning fat, a backup energy source. When fat is broken down for energy, the body releases ketones, which are fatty acids and acids.

It isn’t always necessarily harmful to have ketones in your blood, which is known as “ketosis.” For instance, ketosis can occur after fasting overnight or when an individual goes on a low carb diet.

Too many ketones, however, are a problem. An overproduction of ketones resulting from no or low production of insulin can result in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). In a person with type 1 diabetes, DKA can occur as a result of skipping insulin, whether intentionally or accidentally. Other causes of diabetic ketoacidosis include suffering from pneumonia and urinary tract infections. On rare occasions, people who have either type 1 or type 2 diabetes can develop DKA from taking certain drugs.

Diagnosing Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Initial testing for DKA involves measuring the level of ketones in the body. Over the counter ketone test kits are available. Doctors recommend that anyone who has diabetes and is ill or has a blood sugar of 240 mg/dL or greater should check ketone levels using an over the counter test kit.

In jail medical infirmaries, hospitals, and other healthcare settings, a urine or blood test can be used to check for ketones in the blood. Other options for testing ketone levels include:

• Monitor blood pressure to determine whether it is possibly too high or too low.
• Run a basic metabolic panel for the assessment of, for example, kidney function and electrolyte levels.
• Test arterial blood gasses to assess the base/acid balance of the body because when people experience diabetic ketoacidosis are in an acidic state.

Learn more in Part 1 of this series.

Providing information that is helpful to Texas inmates is the purpose of this site. Accusing institutions or individuals of involvement in misdeeds is never an intention.

–Guest Contributor