DIABETIC KETOACIDOSIS

THE PRECIPITATING ENTITIES IN PATIENTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS

Abstract

Objective: To determine the frequency of various precipitating factors for Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Study Design, Setting & Duration: This was a prospective study carried out at Department of Medicine, Muhammad Medical College & Hospital Mirpurkhas, from February 2007 to February 2009. Patients & Methods: 100 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus admitted with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) were analyzed to determine the precipitating factors. Results: Out of 100 patients 47 were males and their average age was 47 years (range=17-65) while 53 were females with an average age of 43 (range=14-58), among them 54 had various systemic infections, 18 were non-compliant to the treatments, 24 had other co-morbidities like chronic liver disease (n=8), stroke (n=7), chronic renal failure (n=5), sub-endocardial infarct (n=2) and acute pancreatitis (n=2) as precipitating factors while 4 had their first presentation of diabetes mellitus as diabetic ketoacidosis. A mortality of 14% was recorded in the study. Conclusion: Systemic infections, non-compliance to treatments and co-morbid conditions were the major precipitating factors for diabetic ketoacidosis.