[Diabetic ketoacidosis (169 episodes in 131 patients in the course of 10 years)]

Diabetic patient material--presenting hyperglycaemic ketoacidotic episode--observed in Gyula and Szekszárd County Hospitals in period 1980-89, was reviewed by authors. 131 patients were admitted with 169 ketoacidotic episodes (among them 23 patients had 62 recurrences). The mean age of patients were 49.4 years (14-84 years), duration of diabetes 9.5 years (from one month to 45 years). The common cause of diabetic ketoacidosis was respiratory (26 per cent) and enteral (35.5 per cent) infection. The consciousness of patients had shown close correlation with the increase of blood sugar and urea nitrogen level as well as with the decreasing of the pH value of capillary blood. The first step of the therapy was the parenteral fluid intake with isotonic solution (in the first hour the average 1351 ml). In 18 patients fast-acting insulin (Novo Actrapid MC) was given by constant infusion, in the remaining cases intravenous or intramuscular low doses of the same insulin were administered. The importance of early potassium replacement, and the dangers of forced and rapid correction of acidosis is emphasized. Lethality related to episodes was 10 per cent, related to the patients 12.9 per cent. The number of ketoacidotic cases did not decrease parallel with the improvement of therapeutic possibilities, as it was experienced by their earlier evaluations. The importance of the prevention of acute metabolic disorders is outlined might be resulted from increasing the efficacy of patients education and better knowledge of GP's, as well.