title: Clinical and Biochemical Characteristics of Diabetes Ketoacidosis in a Tertiary Hospital in Riyadh.
abstract: Diabetes is the fifth leading cause of death worldwide. Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a life-threatening acute complication of diabetes. The aim of this study is to investigate the clinical and biochemical characteristics of DKA among 400 patients admitted to hospital, most of whom had type 1 diabetes (n = 372; 93%). Vomiting (n = 319; 79.8%), nausea (n = 282; 70.5%), and abdominal pain (n = 303; 75.8%) were the presenting symptoms most commonly experienced by the patients. Tachycardia was the most common clinical sign noted in the patients on admission (n = 243; 61.8%). The predominant precipitating cause of DKA was noncompliance to an insulin regimen (n = 215; 54.2%). Recurrent DKA admissions in type 1 diabetes patients was higher than those with type 2 diabetes (n = 232 versus n = 9, respectively; P = 0.002). Recurrent DKA admissions in female patients were higher than in male patients (n = 167 versus n = 74, respectively; P = 0.002). Continued diabetic education (given to n = 384; 94%) and counseling on the importance of adhering to the recommended medical regime, addressing the social and cultural barriers that precipitate DKA, as well as the provision of timely medical attention may greatly reduce DKA episodes and their associated complications.
authors.affiliation: Obesity, Endocrine and Metabolism Centre, King Fahad Medical City (KFMC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.; King Fahad Medical City, College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Mussa H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Almalki
authors.affiliation: Obesity, Endocrine and Metabolism Centre, King Fahad Medical City (KFMC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Badurudeen Mahmood
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Buhary
authors.affiliation: Obesity, Endocrine and Metabolism Centre, King Fahad Medical City (KFMC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Shawana Abdulhamid
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Obesity, Endocrine and Metabolism Centre, King Fahad Medical City (KFMC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Abdulrahman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Almaghamsi
authors.affiliation: King Abdulaziz Medical City, College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Fahad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Alshahrani
keywords: diabetes; diabetic ketoacidosis; precipitating cause; presenting symptoms