Risk factors for recurrent admissions with diabetic ketoacidosis: a case-control observational study.
OBJECTIVE
To perform a detailed analysis of patients with recurrent diabetic ketoacidosis admissions in order to establish risk factors for readmission.


METHODS
The medical records of all adults and young people (> 15 years) with Type 1 diabetes admitted to Auckland City Hospital over a 15-year period from 1997 to 2011 with a primary diagnosis of ketoacidosis were analysed. Patients readmitted with ketoacidosis within 5 years of their index admission were identified and compared with patients without ketoacidosis readmission who were matched for age, gender, ethnicity and duration of diabetes.


RESULTS
A total of 268 patients accounted for a total of 412 admissions. In all, 58 patients had more than one admission for diabetic ketoacidosis during this period. Of these, 40 patients readmitted with diabetic ketoacidosis were compared with matched control subjects (n = 40) who had only one admission for diabetic ketoacidosis. The mean ± sd age of the cohort was 31 ± 12 years. The readmission group had more severe diabetic ketoacidosis and poorer glycaemic control. Alcohol abuse was commonly noted in both groups, with insulin dose omission being the main contributor to the development of ketoacidosis. Both groups had high rates of clinic non-attendance. There were no other differences noted between the groups.


CONCLUSIONS
When patients with recurrent diabetic ketoacidosis were matched for age, duration of diabetes, gender and ethnicity with patients who had only one admission for diabetic ketoacidosis, few differences were noted. This makes designing intervention strategies to reduce readmission with diabetic ketoacidosis difficult.
Department of General Medicine, Auckland City Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand.
H
H
Cooper
Department of General Medicine, Auckland City Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand.
A
A
Tekiteki
Diabetes Centre, Green Lane Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand.
M
M
Khanolkar
Department of Medicine, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
G
G
Braatvedt
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016883:Diabetic Ketoacidosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D057286:Electronic Health Records; D005260:Female; D006773:Hospitals, Municipal; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007328:Insulin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D010359:Patient Readmission; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D055815:Young Adult
D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin