by Alicksis

Created on: November 28, 2009

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a complication within patients who have been diagnosed with the condition of diabetes mellitus (more commonly just known as diabetes) the condition will generally only effect those who suffer from type 1 diabetes, but it is possible for the condition to occur within someone diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Diabetic ketoacidosis occurs when there is a total shortage of insulin in the body. In response to this blood sugar levels rise and the body starts to produce organic acids and ketones in the blood, it is also common that the patient will suffer severe dehydration and their blood chemistry will show significant alterations.

Diabetic ketoacidosis can be a life threatening condition, and therefore is important it is addressed quickly so treatment can begin swiftly. The objective will be to replace the fluids lost, while decreasing the rate of blood sugar and ketone production by providing the patient with insulin.

The first method will be to start intravenous fluid replacement, this is the most important treatment patients will undergo following the diabetic ketoacidosis treatment guidelines.This treats the dehydration the patient would have experienced, the amount of fluid is dependable on the degree of dehydration the patient is suffering from. If dehydration is so severe that it will cause shock, then saline will be used. Again if a patient has a moderate degree of dehydration, this would be likely to include vomiting, saline will be used. If no signs of this degree of dehydration is present than the patient will be re hydrated orally opposed to a intravenous method. The fluids will also work to dilute levels of glucose and acid present.

Insulin is provided in the treatment for diabetic ketoacidosis to lower the blood sugar levels and prevent the further production of ketone in the body. Once levels of blood glucose have decreased to 250 mg, additional glucose may then be provided to allow continual administration of insulin without hypoglycemia.

During the treating their will always be a depletion of levels of potassium in the whole of the body. This is due to the insulin which redistributes potassium throughout cells. Initially the levels of serum potassium are often medium to high, but potassium levels throughout the body will be low.

The re hydration of the body, replacing potassium and replacing insulin are the most important parts of treating diabetic ketoacidosis, another essential part of treatment is treating any precipitating illnesses.These are the primary diabetic ketoacidosis treatment guidelines, each individual case may have differences, but they are likely to be minor. But when being treated it is also possible you could be given sodium bicarbonate, this is a controversial method but it is likely that it will cause the acid levels to improve in the body. These are the likely treatments that any patient who has been diagnosed with diabetic ketoacidosis will receive.

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