When someone does not have enough glucose or stored glycogen, the body shifts to burning fat and produces more ketones than usual. Over time, ketones can build up in the bloodstream and make it acidic, creating a significant risk for complications and, in severe cases, organ failure. The absence of hyperglycemia makes diabetic ketoacidosis improbable.
Management and Treatment
If the vomiting and starvation go on for a day or more, the liver’s normal stores of sugar (glucose) decrease. The low glucose stores combined with lack of food intake cause low blood glucose levels. Without insulin, most cells cannot get energy from the glucose that is in the blood.
Levels of Care
Cells still need energy to survive, so they switch to a back-up mechanism to obtain energy. alcohol rehab Fat cells begin breaking down, producing compounds called ketones. Ketones provide some energy to cells but also make the blood too acidic (ketoacidosis).
Diabetes-Related Ketoacidosis (DKA)
Generally, the physical findings relate to volume depletion and chronic alcohol abuse. Typical characteristics of the latter may include rhinophyma, tremulousness, hepatosplenomegaly, peripheral neuropathy, gynecomastia, testicular atrophy, and palmar erythema. The patient might be tachycardic, tachypneic, profoundly orthostatic, or frankly hypotensive as a result of dehydration from decreased oral intake, diaphoresis, and vomiting. Breathing tends to become deep and rapid as the body attempts to correct the alcoholic ketoacidosis blood’s acidity. Similar symptoms in a person with alcohol use disorder may result from acute pancreatitis, methanol (wood alcohol) or ethylene glycol (antifreeze) poisoning or diabetic ketoacidosis.
- Given the early recognition of AKA and concurrent management, our patient had a good outcome.
- Watch out for early signs of DKA, including thirst or a very dry mouth, frequent urination, high blood glucose levels, and high levels of ketones in the urine.