title: Clinico-laboratory characteristics of diabetic keto acidosis in adults in a tertiary hospital in Saudi Arabia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study is undertaken to evaluate the magnitude of DKA in Saudi population with specific emphasis on clinical laboratory characteristics over 20 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective analysis of hospital records of 240 episodes of DKA requiring inpatient admission from December 1985 to December 2005 in adult patients in a tertiary hospital was performed. Besides the demographic data of the patients, the clinico-laboratory parameters relevant to the diabetes and DKA status were thoroughly reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  150 males and 90 females were admitted with DKA with a mean age of 21.77 +/- 7.2 years. 16.6% (n=40) were diagnosed to have DM for the first time and others had a mean duration of DM of 5.02 +/- 4.88 years with an average daily insulin requirement being 45.09 +/- 23.9 units. 80.4% of the DKA episodes occurred in intermediate, secondary school and University level students. The commonest precipitating factors were missed insulin doses (51.2%) and respiratory tract infections (22.5%). The mean duration of stay in the hospital was 6.56 +/- 3.4 days and there were no deaths reported because of DKA. The mean blood sugar on presentation was 23.49 +/- 8.3 mmol/L whereas the mean pH and bicarbonate levels on presentation were 7.21 +/- 0.1 and 14.7 +/- 4.3 meq/L respectively. Blood pH was found to be significantly lower in female patients. Among patients below 20 years of age, females have significantly lower bicarbonate levels (11.7 +/- 6.2). Among patients above 20 years of age females had significantly longer duration of diabetes (8.86 +/- 8.36 years; p < 0.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  By providing intensive education and increasing the awareness of DKA, a major reduction in morbidity and hospitalizations due to DKA may be expected.
authors.affiliation: University Diabetes Centre, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. krubean@ksu.edu.sa
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Al-Rubeaan
authors.forename: Syed Abdus Saboor
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Aftab
authors.forename: Metib S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Alotaibi
authors.forename: Ali A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Alghamdi
authors.forename: M R M
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Rafiullah
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016883:Diabetic Ketoacidosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012529:Saudi Arabia