Diabetic ketoacidosis, if it progresses and worsens without treatment, can eventually cause unconsciousness, from a combination of a very high blood sugar level, dehydration and shock, and exhaustion. Coma only occurs at an advanced stage, usually after 36 hours or more of worsening vomiting and hyperventilation.

Why do DKA patients lose consciousness?

A diabetic coma occurs when blood sugar levels become either too low or too high. The cells in your body require glucose to function. High blood sugar, or hyperglycemia, can make you dehydrated which can cause you to lose consciousness.

Does DKA cause loss of consciousness?

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a potentially life-threatening complication of diabetes mellitus. Signs and symptoms may include vomiting, abdominal pain, deep gasping breathing, increased urination, weakness, confusion and occasionally loss of consciousness. A person's breath may develop a specific "fruity" smell.

Why does DKA cause coma?

Diabetic ketoacidosis coma

This type of coma is triggered by the build-up of chemicals called ketones. Ketones are strongly acidic and cause the blood to become too acidic. When there is not enough insulin circulating, the body cannot use glucose for energy.

What causes drowsiness in DKA?

When there is not enough insulin, or the insulin isn't working effectively, it means the sugar in our blood cannot get into our cells and therefore our cells do not receive the energy they need. As a result, we feel tired.

Diabetic Ketoacidosis (Diabetes Type I) Management Summary

42 related questions found

Why does hyperglycemia lead to osmotic diuresis?

It is caused by high blood glucose, urea and medications such as mannitol, excretion occurs with the entry of these substances. Mechanism of osmotic diuresis: substances that are not easily reabsorbed by the renal tubules are retained in the lumen, resulting an increase in osmotic pressure.

Why does diabetes cause fatigue?

Changes in blood sugar levels

Cells need insulin to absorb glucose from the blood. If the cells do not take in enough glucose, it can build up in the blood. The cells need glucose to provide energy. Fatigue and weakness might result when the cells do not get enough glucose.

How does DKA cause death?

Diabetic ketoacidosis is a severe, life-threatening complication, mostly affecting Type 1 diabetics. DKA can develop when your blood sugar is high and the insulin level is low. The imbalance in the body causes a build-up of ketones, which are toxic. If not treated, it can lead to a diabetic coma and death.

What happens if you go into a diabetic coma?

A diabetic coma results from either very high or very low blood glucose levels. This is a life-threatening complication which causes the patient to fall into a state of unconsciousness. The coma is reversible if treated immediately, but if left untreated they may receive permanent brain damage or potentially die.

Is diabetic ketoacidosis a painful death?

Symptoms include sunken eyes, rapid breathing, headache, muscle aches, severe dehydration, weak peripheral pulses, nausea, stomach pain and cramping, vomiting, semi or unconsciousness, cerebral edema, coma and death. DKA is a horrendously painful way to die.

How does ketoacidosis affect the nervous system?

In patients with DKA, cerebral oxygen utilization is impaired, and there is hyperviscosity of the blood. A substantial part of the brain's energy source is derived from ketones, which in themselves can depress sensorium. Extracellular hyperosomolality is present, which may also contribute to the genesis of coma.

How does hyperglycemia cause unconsciousness?

Severely high blood sugar turns your blood thick and syrupy. The excess sugar passes from your blood into your urine, which triggers a filtering process that draws tremendous amounts of fluid from your body. Left untreated, this can lead to life-threatening dehydration and a diabetic coma.

Why does DKA cause cerebral edema?

This occurrence is usually seen in newly diagnosed diabetic children with DKA. Cerebral edema occurs from rapid lowering of glucose levels and an ensuing rapid drop in plasma osmolarity. Brain cells, which trap osmotically active particles, preferentially absorb water and swell during rapid rehydration.

Can DKA cause confusion?

You have many signs and symptoms of diabetic ketoacidosis — excessive thirst, frequent urination, nausea and vomiting, stomach pain, weakness or fatigue, shortness of breath, fruity-scented breath, and confusion.

Why does DKA cause hypotension?

Insulin is known to decrease the catecholamine-induced production of these 2 potent vasodilators. Severe insulin deficiency as seen in DKA thus leads to increased production of PGI2 and PGE2, which leads to vasodilation and hypotension.

How does ketoacidosis affect the brain?

DKA can significantly affect the function of brain blood vessels. These vessels normally protect the brain by forming what is known as the blood-brain barrier and damage to that barrier can lead to a devastating complication of DKA, brain swelling (edema).

How high does your sugar have to be to go into a coma?

A diabetic coma could happen when your blood sugar gets too high -- 600 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or more -- causing you to become very dehydrated. It usually affects people with type 2 diabetes that isn't well-controlled. It's common among those who are elderly, chronically ill, and disabled.

What does diabetic coma feel like?

The severe symptoms of uncontrolled blood sugar that can come before a diabetic coma include vomiting, difficulty breathing, confusion, weakness, and dizziness.

What happens in insulin shock?

What causes insulin shock? Having too much insulin in your blood can lead to having too little glucose. If your blood sugar falls too low, your body no longer has enough fuel to carry out its regular functions. In insulin shock, your body becomes so starved for fuel that it begins to shut down.

What is the most common cause of death in DKA?

Most deaths associated with DKA result from the development of cerebral edema. In a multicenter study of 6,977 hospitalizations for DKA in the U.S., Glaser et al. (7) documented 61 (0.8%) episodes of cerebral edema. Of these 61 children, 13 (21%) died and another 13 had serious neurological sequelae.

What is the mortality rate for DKA?

A total of 835 deaths were found among DKA patients, with a mortality rate of 0.38%. The overall mortality rate was higher among males admitted with DKA (40.5 deaths per 10,000 cases of DKA) than females (35.3 deaths per 10,000 cases of DKA).

What happens during DKA?

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a life-threatening problem that affects people with diabetes. It occurs when the body starts breaking down fat at a rate that is much too fast. The liver processes the fat into a fuel called ketones, which causes the blood to become acidic.

Does high blood sugar cause sleepiness?

High Blood Sugar Causes Fatigue

Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of high blood sugar. In people with diabetes, it is referred to as diabetes fatigue. Many people with the condition feel tired all the time regardless of how well they sleep, how healthily they eat, or how much they exercise on a regular basis.

Does diabetes cause sleepiness?

There is a strong correlation between extreme daytime sleepiness and diabetes. Individuals with diabetes are two times more likely to report extreme daytime sleepiness than those who are not. Overweight people are also more likely to experience extreme daytime sleepiness.

Does insulin make you sleepy?

People on stronger diabetes medication such as insulin, may also experience fatigue as a symptom of low blood glucose levels. Blood glucose testing can help to determine whether high or low sugar levels may be the cause of fatigue.