Word parts
What it means
When the body has almost no insulinIN-suh-linA hormone made by the pancreas that lets the body's cells take in glucose, also made as a medicine.Full entry , cells cannot use glucose, so the body burns fat for energy instead. Burning fat makes ketones, which are acids, and the blood becomes too acidic. Typical findings are a blood glucose above 250 mg/dL, a blood pH of 7.3 or lower, and ketones in the blood and urine. It develops quickly, often within a day, and is most common in type 1 diabetes, often set off by infection or missed insulin.
For the nurse
Look for thirst, much urination, nausea and vomiting, belly pain, fruity breath and deep, rapid Kussmaul respirationsKOOS-mowl res-puh-RAY-shunzA breathing pattern of deep, rapid, labored breaths at an even pace.Full entry . Treatment is IV fluids, IV regular insulin and potassiumpuh-TAS-ee-umA mineral in the blood that nerves and muscles, including the heart, need in order to work.Full entry replacement, so check glucose hourly and potassium often: insulin moves potassium into the cells and the level can drop fast.
In a chart
"Glucose 486 mg/dL, pH 7.18, urine ketones large; insulin infusion started per DKA protocol."
At a glance
| Abbreviations | DKA |
|---|---|
| Spanish | cetoacidosis diabética |
| Also written | DKA, diabetic ketoacidoses |
Easy to confuse with
HHS
Hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state: very high blood glucose with severe dehydration and little or no ketone buildup.
Related terms
Kussmaul respirations
A breathing pattern of deep, rapid, labored breaths at an even pace.
insulin
A hormone made by the pancreas that lets the body's cells take in glucose, also made as a medicine.
-osis
A word ending that means an abnormal condition or process, or an increase.
hyperglycemia
A blood glucose level above normal, over 100 mg/dL when fasting.
type 1 diabetes
A form of diabetes in which the pancreas makes little or no insulin because the immune system has destroyed the cells that make it.