Frequency and Determinants of Diabetic Ketoacidosis in Diabetic patients

Aim: To determine the frequency of diabetic ketoacidosis in diabetic patients presenting in a tertiary care setting and frequency of precipitating factors for diabetic ketoacidosis in diabetic patients. Study design: Cross sectional survey. Study setting: West Medical Ward, Mayo Hospital, Lahore. Duration of study: Six months Results: Majority of patients were between 41-55 years of age, mean age with SD was calculated as 46.75+ 4.64 years, 177(59%) were females while 123(41%) were male, frequency of diabetic ketoacidosis in diabetic patients presenting in a tertiary care setting was 34(11.33%) while 266(88.67%) had no findings of the morbidity, while precipitating factors responsible for diabetic ketoacidosis in diabetic patients shows non-compliance as a main factor among other factors i. e. 22(64.71%), new onset of diabetes was recorded in 9(26.47%) and 8(23.53%) had acute illness among 34(11.33%) positive for diabetic ketoacidosis subjects while few patients had > 1 precipitating factor i. e. acute illness and new onset of diabetes mellitus. Conclusion: Frequency of diabetic ketoacidosis among diabetic patients in a tertiary care setting is higher while acute illness, non-compliance and new onset of diabetes are common precipitating factors of the morbidity.