title: Initial fluid resuscitation for patients with diabetic ketoacidosis: how dry are they?
abstract: A prospective consecutive case series of patients aged 5 to 20 years who presented to a pediatric emergency department with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) was studied to determine the actual percent loss of body weight during an episode of DKA to determine the degree of dehydration and thereby provide a guide for hydration therapy during such an episode. Patients' weights at the time of presentation, inpatient discharge, and at the first follow-up clinic visit were used to calculate the percent loss of body weight. Data from 33 episodes of DKA showed that the majority of patients with DKA had moderate (4% to 8%) dehydration. Clinical assessment was a poor predictor of severity of dehydration and overestimated the percent dehydration in 67% of patients. Based on these data it is recommend that initial fluid therapy for DKA should assume moderate dehydration with adjustment made according to clinical response.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Emergency Department, Children's Hospital at Montefiore, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA. mfagan@montefiore.org
authors.forename: Michele J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Fagan
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Avner
authors.forename: Hnin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Khine
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001835:Body Weight; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003681:Dehydration / Q000628:therapy*; D016883:Diabetic Ketoacidosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D005440:Fluid Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome