The Metabolic Derangements and Treatment of Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Diabetic ketoacidosis is a common illness among patients with diabetes. The exact prevalence is unknown, but in one community the rate was estimated to be 13.4 episodes per 1000 patient-years in young persons with diabetes.1 It remains a serious event, with mortality rates as high as 6 to 10 per cent.2 , 3 In children under 10 years of age, diabetic ketoacidosis accounts for 70 per cent of diabetes-related deaths.4 Death may be due to derangements that are directly attributable to ketoacidosis, to complications associated with the illness itself, or to abnormalities induced by treatment. Because a substantial percentage of deaths is . . .