Diabetic KetoAcidosis (DKA)

[littlecat123]

DKA (Diabetic Ketoacidosis) is a life threatening condition where acetone accumulates in the body.

The breath will smell like acetone, respirations become rapid and deep as the body tries to blow off the acid accumulating in the body, nausea and vomiting occur and if untreated can progress to coma and death.

If you are having these symptoms definitely check your blood sugar and check with your doctor.

[Calypso]

DKA usually occurs when the blood sugar gets very high, doesn't it? When I was working in the emergency room, we had a few people come in in DKA, and I remember it was one of the emergencies that always got the doctors moviing quickly.

[littlecat123]

The sugar can be moderately high or very high or even extremely high.

What happens is the liver starts to break down body fat for sugar. The byproduct is ketones which are generally passed off in the urine.

DKA occurs when the blood becomes more acidic than the body tissues.

DKA occurs mostly with Type 1 diabetics but can occasionally happen with Type II diabetics.

Usual causes are infection, trauma, illness or surgery.