Perioperative Implication of Sodium-glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitor in a Patient Following Major Surgery

Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) are the second line of therapy in diabetes mellitus type 2. They are frequently coprescribed with other noninsulin glucose-lowering medications. Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) with lower-than-anticipated glucose levels is an important SGLT2i-related adverse effect in postoperative patients. This case highlights the need for increased postoperative surveillance of patients on this group of medications. Ketonuria was managed with short-acting insulin infusion with dextrose-containing intravenous fluid, as a part of the ongoing intensive care treatment to which the patient responded well. Awareness of DKA with lower-than-anticipated glucose levels is an important clinical challenge, an entity that can be confused in the setting of major and complex surgeries. The frequency of this arcane and underreported diagnosis in the perioperative setting is unknown. How to cite this article: Vadi S, Lad V, Kapoor D. Perioperative Implication of Sodium-glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitor in a Patient Following Major Surgery. Indian J Crit Care Med 2021;25(8):958-959.