Alcoholic Ketoacidosis

Typical patients are usually chronic drinkers who are unable to tolerate oral nutrition for a 1 to 3 day period. Patients often have a recent bout of heavy drinking before the period of relative starvation, with persistent vomiting and abdominal pain contributing to their inability to tolerate PO intake. Alcoholic ketoacidosis is a condition seen commonly in patients with alcohol use disorder or after a bout of heavy drinking. It is a clinical diagnosis with patients presenting with tachycardia, tachypnea, dehydration, agitation, and abdominal pain. This activity illustrates the evaluation and treatment of alcoholic ketoacidosis and explains the role of the interprofessional team in managing patients with this condition. On that day, she continued to have a serum osmolal gap and increased acetone level.

alcoholic ketoacidosis treatment guidelines

Your doctor may also admit you to the intensive care unit if you require ongoing care. The length of your hospital stay depends on the severity of the alcoholic ketoacidosis. It also depends on how long it takes to get your body regulated and out of danger.

Emergent Treatment of Alcoholic Ketoacidosis

Glucose levels are usually mildly elevated but are not generally above 250 mg/dl. The initial glucose levels are more likely to be in the normal range. It is important to screen for SKA in patients with an unexplained metabolic acidosis by checking capillary glucose and ketone measures, both of which are readily available in emergency departments and acute medical wards. Potassium levels can be normal or low, as dehydration and decreased oral intake frequently decrease the serum K level. Bicarbonate or HCO3 will likely be decreased with the presence of a metabolic acidosis. Glucose levels are usually mildly elevated but are not generally above 250mg/dl.

  • Patients often have a recent bout of heavy drinking before the period of relative starvation, with persistent vomiting and abdominal pain contributing to their inability to tolerate PO intake.
  • Acetic acid is a product of the metabolism of alcohol and also a substrate for ketogenesis.
  • An elevated mean corpuscular volume is often seen in chronic alcoholics.
  • Beta-hydroxybutyrate is the predominate ketoacid in alcoholic ketoacidosis.
  • Rarely, alcoholic ketoacidosis occurs after a binge in persons who are not chronic drinkers 1.
  • This link between SKA and psychiatric disease is especially pertinent as this is a cohort of patients who may not be able to give an accurate history, which can potentially lead to a delay in diagnosis and treatment.

Two-thirds of patients also have a significant blood ethanol level at presentation. People with alcoholic ketoacidosis are usually admitted to the hospital, often to the intensive care unit . The patients need to be treated with fluid and volume resuscitation. The patient will need intravenous therapy normal saline volume replacement. If the initial blood glucose level is normal or low, five%dextrose should be added to the IV fluids. The patient will need volume replacement to replenish circulating volume and to increase the elimination of ketoacids. Dextrose will increase glycogen stores, diminish counterregulatory hormones and increase insulin secretion.

How we reviewed this article:

After about of heavy drinking, patients present in a dehydrated state and then an ongoing lack of oral intake. The pathophysiology of AKA starts with low glycogen stores and a lack of oral food intake, which shifts the metabolism from Carbohydrates to fats and lipids.

Thus, in our first patient, approximately half the osmolal gap on admission could be attributed to the acetone. Therefore, in a patient with increased acetone levels, this diagnosis must be excluded. Nevertheless, we conclude that serum acetone level https://ecosoberhouse.com/ provides a valuable clue in patients with high anion gap acidosis and high serum osmolal gap and should raise suspicion of the diagnosis of alcoholic ketoacidosis. After drinking too much alcohol without taking enough food for a long period of time.

Article Contents

Efficient and timely management can lead to enhanced patient outcomes in patients with AKA. However, after adequate treatment, it is equally essential to refer the patient to alcohol abuse rehabilitation programs to prevent recurrence and long-term irreversible damage from alcohol abuse. Patients are usually tachycardic, dehydrated, tachypneic, present with abdominal pain, and are often agitated. alcoholic ketoacidosis The toxicokinetics that are pertinent to the diagnosis of AKA include the rate of alcohol oxidation in the body. Ethyl alcohol oxidizes at a rate of 20 to 25 mg/dL per hour in most individuals. The accompanying lack of alcohol in the patient’s body and the fact that for some time, the only source of calories that a patient has is ethanol both contribute to the clinical syndrome that we see.

  • On that day, she continued to have a serum osmolal gap and increased acetone level.
  • The presence of a large osmolal gap suggests acute isopropyl, ethanol, methanol, or ethylene glycol ingestion.
  • Our cases highlight alcoholic ketoacidosis as an underappreciated cause of this combination of findings.
  • Hypomagnesemia and hypophosphatemia are common problems seen in the laboratory evaluation due to decreased dietary intake and increased losses.
  • Nitroprusside Test – The nitroprusside test can be used to document ketonuria by the detection of acetoacetate.

Rarely, alcoholic ketoacidosis occurs after a binge in persons who are not chronic drinkers 1. Ketones are a type of acid that form when the body breaks down fat for energy. Alcoholic ketoacidosis most often occurs in a malnourished person who drinks large amounts of alcohol every day. Alcoholic ketoacidosis is an acute form of metabolic acidosis, a condition in which there is too much acid in body fluids.

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