Criteria for diagnosis of Diabetic ketoacidosis include hyperglycaemia (blood glucose [greater than or equal to] 200 mg/dL), venous PH < 7.3 or bicarbonate < 15 mmol/L with
ketonaemia and ketonuria [4].
DKA is diagnosed according to the American Diabetes Association and SEMDSA guidelines: [9] pH <7.3 or bicarbonate <18 mmol/L and presence of
ketonaemia. As serum ketones are not readily available, the presence of urine ketones are used as a surrogate marker.
During carbohydrate restriction, acetoacetate accumulates and is converted into acetone and beta-hydroxybutyrate (BOHB), leading to the presence of these ketones in the blood and urine (
ketonaemia and ketonuria, resp.) and in the breath.
[3] It is a metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia, glycosuria, hyperlipidemia, negative nitrogen balance, and sometimes
ketonaemia. Symptoms of marked hyperglycemia include polyuria, polydipsia, weight loss, sometimes with polyphagia, and blurred vision.