Am J Perinatol 1996; 13(7): 449-451
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-994386
ORIGINAL ARTICLE

© 1996 by Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc.

The Changing Presentations of Diabetic Ketoacidosis During Pregnancy

Mark T. Cullen1 , E. Albert Reece1 , 2 , Carol J. Homko2 , Eyal Sivan2
  • 1Yale Diabetes-in-Pregnancy Study Unit, Section of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
  • 2Diabetes-in-Pregnancy Program in the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Publikationsverlauf

Publikationsdatum:
04. März 2008 (online)

ABSTRACT

The purpose of the present study was to examine the presentation and outcomes associated with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in pregnancies complicated by diabetes. Eleven episodes (2%) of DKA were diagnosed during the 10-year study period. All patients were under close observation by the Diabetes-in-Pregnancy Service. Plasma glucose levels of less than 200 mg/dL were present in 4 of the 11 patients (36%), 10 (90%) of whom presented with nausea, vomiting, and decreased caloric intake. Two subsequently had fetal distress necessitating cesarean section. One fetal death occurred in a patient treated with subcutaneous insulin. Despite contemporary methods of diabetes care, near-normal plasma glucose levels are not enough to preclude diabetic ketoacidosis. Nausea, vomiting, and decreased caloric intake in an otherwise normal pregnant, diabetic woman requires evaluation to exclude ketosis.