Treating diabetic ketoacidosis

Diabetic ketoacidosis is usuallytreated inhospital.

Depending on how advanced your symptoms are, you may be admitted to a standard ward, a high dependency ward or an intensive care unit (ICU) .

Diabetic ketoacidosis is treated using a combination of:

• fluids pumped directly into avein to rehydrate your body
• insulin (usually pumped into a vein)
• replacement ofminerals, such as potassium, which may have been lost because you're dehydrated and because of insulin treatment

You'll be closely monitored using blood and urine tests to check how well you're responding to treatment and determine when it's safe for you togohome.

If you develop any complications of diabetic ketoacidosis , you'll need additional treatment for this.

Going home

As long asthere are no complications, you should be able to leave hospital when you are well enough to eat and drink normally and tests show no, or few, ketones left in your body.

In most cases, this will take less than 24 hours,although some people may need to stay in hospital for longer.

Before or shortly after being discharged from hospital,your diabetes nurse will discuss why youdevelopeddiabetic ketoacidosis, so a plan can be put in place to prevent future episodes.

For example, ifdiabetic ketoacidosis was caused byan illness, you'll needa "sick day plan"soyou can adjust your insulin dosage accordingly.

If diabetic ketoacidosis occurred as a result of missing an insulin treatment, you'll needto discuss the reasons for this and whether there's anything that can be done to make your treatment planeasier to follow.

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