The patient's plasma or urine should be checked for ketones and if greater than 2+ the arterial pH should also be measured.
Based on these findings and the clinical findings of the patient then they can be classified either as:
dehydration | glucose mmol/l | ketones | pHa | drowsiness | |
DM* | -/+ | >11 | - to ++ | 7.4 | - |
DKA | ++ | > 15 | +++ | <7.2 | ++ |
HONK | ++++ | >30 | + | >7.2 | +++ |
DM* newly diagnosed or poorly controlled diabetic
adapted from: D Sprigings Acute Medicine Blackwell 1992
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