title: Profile of diabetic ketoacidosis at a teaching hospital in Benghazi, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.
abstract: This study describes the profile of 100 cases of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at a teaching hospital in 1 Benghazi, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. DKA was more frequent in young women with type 1 diabetes and mostly due to preventable causes, e.g., disrupted insulin treatment and/or infection. DKA also occurred in type 2 diabetics, with a higher mortality rate, as they were older patients with co-morbidity. Polyurea, fatigue, abdominal pain and vomiting were the most common clinical features, while coma was rarer. A high number of cases were first presentations of type 1 diabetes; hence this diagnosis should be considered in all patients with acute abdomen or decreased level of consciousness. The reasons for high mortality rate in this study (10%) were multifactorial.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty ofMedicine, Al-Arab Medical University, Benghazi, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. rafikal2002@yahoo.com
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Elmehdawi
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Elmagerhei
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D015984:Causality; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications; D016883:Diabetic Ketoacidosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000150:complications; D008002:Libya / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution