Diabetic ketoacidosis

The condition mainly affects type 1 diabetic patients but it is very rare among patients of type 2 diabetes (Peters et al, 2015). Etiology of diabetic ketoacidosis Diabetic ketoacidosis results from a decrease in net concentration of the insulin that circulates through the body together with an increase in the hormones that are counter-regulatory such as growth hormone, catechol amines, glucagon and cortisol (Peters et al, 2015). Such changes result in extreme symptoms of derangements in the metabolic processes which take place in diabetes. There are two major events which precipitate this condition, and they include insufficient treatment or infection. Some underlying medical conditions like stroke or myocardial infarction also may trigger increased production of the counter current hormones and this may also lead to development of diabetic ketoacidosis particularly among the diabetic patients.

Several other parameters such as inflammatory biomarkers, cytokines and lipid peroxidation are also elevated because their regulation is influenced by levels of insulin and hydration (Misra & Oliver, 2015). Symptoms Most of the time the symptoms and signs of diabetic ketoacidosis develop quickly. Sometimes the symptoms may appear within 24 hours. In some cases, such symptoms may be the signals that an individual has diabetes. The symptoms of DKA include: • Excessive thirst • Abdominal pain • Shortness of breath • Frequent urination • Weakness or fatigue • Nausea and vomiting • Confusion • Breath that smells fruity • Increased heart rate • Loss of appetite (Peters et al, 2015) There are other specific symptoms of DKA that are detectable through urine testing kits or home blood testing kits and they include elevated levels of ketone in the urine and elevated levels of blood sugar.