What Is Diabetic Ketoacidosis?
6. Treatment Approach
Patients with diabetic ketoacidosis should be treated in an intensive care unit the first 24 to 48 hours after admission. It is crucial to maintain vigilance for any concomitant conditions such as infection, stroke, or heart attack. Fluid and electrolyte correction should be followed by gradual correction of high blood sugar and acidosis.
Patients are generally not discharged until they are able to switch to their daily regimen of insulin without ketosis recurrence. Once the condition stabilizes, the patient is allowed food preceded by a dose of insulin. Patients with nausea and unable to eat should continue dextrose infusion and administration of regular or ultra-short acting insulin according to blood glucose level. Blood glucose should be maintained at 100 to 180 mg/dL.
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