A 39-year-old man suffered from diabetic ketoacidosis, and the doctor team's precise treatment helped him turn the corner!

People often ask, do your doctors take holidays? Are they just ordinary doctors and no specialists? Do they not perform surgery but just take a simple look?

Of course not! Changsha Taihe Hospital has implemented a 365-day holiday-free hospital. Weekends and holidays are the same as weekdays. All clinical, medical technology and logistics departments are open as usual. Medical consultations and examinations are no different from weekdays!

Recently, 39-year-old Mr. Liu felt that he had symptoms such as dry mouth, polydipsia, polyuria, and difficulty breathing, so he went to several tertiary hospitals in Hunan for treatment. Because it coincided with the National Day holiday, the specialist clinics in other hospitals were closed, so he completed blood routine, liver and kidney function, PCT and other tests in the emergency room, but did not perform blood sugar tests. The test results showed no obvious abnormalities, so Mr. Liu went home on his own.

After returning home, Mr. Liu still had symptoms such as loss of appetite, shortness of breath, dry mouth, and fatigue. After learning that Changsha Taihe Hospital is a 365-day hospital, Mr. Liu came to the hospital for treatment on October 4. After arriving at the hospital, the nurse at the triage desk learned about Mr. Liu's condition in detail and sent him to the endocrinology department.

It is reported that Mr. Liu has experienced dry mouth, polydipsia, polyuria and weight loss for more than two months, and has also had symptoms such as shortness of breath in the past seven days. A random blood sugar test in the outpatient clinic showed high results, with blood ketones at 5.85mmol/L. He was diagnosed with "diabetic ketoacidosis" and was immediately admitted to the hospital for treatment.

After admission, complete blood gas analysis showed: pH as low as 7.16, actual bicarbonate ion 4.53mmol/L, which was severe ketoacidosis . The patient was immediately given oxygen inhalation, large amount of fluid infusion, acid correction, ketone excretion and other related symptomatic treatments.

After active treatment by the Endocrinology Department, the patient's discomfort symptoms disappeared, various test indicators gradually recovered, and he was discharged from the hospital on October 14.

Before being discharged from the hospital, Mr. Liu and his family expressed their gratitude to the medical staff many times. This is an affirmation of the medical services of Changsha Taihe Hospital. It also urges us to work harder in the future and serve our fellow patients wholeheartedly.

1. What is diabetic ketoacidosis?

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is one of the common and severe acute complications of diabetes .

When the insulin function of diabetic patients is poor and the sugar metabolism is disordered, a large amount of glucose will appear in the blood but cannot be used. The body can only break down fat to provide energy. After the fat burns, an acidic substance called ketone bodies is produced.

When the ketone body content is low, the body can excrete and regulate it. However, if the ketone body content is too high, it will continue to accumulate in the blood, causing the blood to change from normal neutral to acidic, and finally causing disorders in various systems, causing acidosis, and in severe cases, it can be life-threatening !

2. What are the clinical manifestations of diabetic ketoacidosis?

Ketoacidosis can be divided into three types according to its severity: mild, moderate and severe.

Mild actually refers to simple ketosis without acidosis; those with mild or moderate acidosis can be classified as moderate; severe refers to ketoacidosis accompanied by coma, or those who are not in a coma but have a carbon dioxide binding capacity lower than 10mmol/L , and the latter can easily fall into a coma.

Diabetic ketoacidosis often presents with acute onset. In the days before onset, symptoms of polyuria, polydipsia, and fatigue may worsen . In the decompensated stage, there will be loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, often accompanied by headaches, irritability, and drowsiness. The patient will also have deep and rapid breathing and a rotten apple smell (acetone smell) in the breath.

As the disease progresses, severe dehydration occurs, with decreased urine volume, dry skin and mucous membranes, sunken eyeballs, a rapid and weak pulse, decreased blood pressure, and cold limbs . In the late stage, various reflexes become sluggish or even disappear, eventually leading to coma .

3. How to prevent diabetic ketoacidosis?

For diabetic patients, actively controlling blood sugar and avoiding the occurrence of hyperglycemia are the key to preventing diabetic ketoacidosis.

In addition, a healthy lifestyle such as a proper diet, regular exercise, and maintaining a happy mood can also help reduce the risk of diabetic ketoacidosis.

At the same time, diabetic patients should increase their awareness of their condition. When important warning signs such as polydipsia, polyphagia, polyuria and fatigue appear, they should seek medical attention in time to avoid worsening of their condition.

Dai Xianghong, director of the Endocrinology Department of Changsha Taihe Hospital, kindly reminds everyone: Ketoacidosis is a serious complication of diabetes and poses a great threat to the life and health of patients. Therefore, the prevention of ketoacidosis is of great significance.

If you encounter a person who is in a coma due to ketoacidosis, you must immediately send him to the hospital for emergency treatment . In daily life, diabetic patients should strengthen self-management, improve their quality of life, and reduce the occurrence of complications.

Hunan Medical Chat Special Author: Li Haohong, Department of Endocrinology, Changsha Taihe Hospital

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(Edited by YT)