A Liraglutide Injection Superimposing a Starvation Acidosis: a Case Report

Metabolic acidosis is defined by reduced serum bicarbonate level; this reduction can be from the addition of acid, reduced acid excretion, or loss of alkali. Starvation acidosis is one of the differential diagnoses of high anion gap metabolic acidosis (HAGMA).

We report a rare case presentation of HAGMA associated with Liraglutide and low carbohydrates diet.

A 27-year-old female patient presented to the Emergency Department (ED) with a complaint of nausea and vomiting for two days. She was following a strict low carbohydrate diet for three months to reduce her weight as her body mass index (BMI) was 30 kg/m3. Her bedside investigations were significant for HAGMA. The patient was seen by the endocrine service and was admitted as a case of starvation ketoacidosis (SKA) vs. euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). The patient was treated with D10W 250 cc/hr with insulin infusion, her the anion gap was closed after 5 hours. She was discharged home as SKA secondary to diet with the possibility of drug superimposing the starvation state. She was given a follow-up clinic regularly to monitor her clinical status.

This case highlights the possibility of a HAGMA as a rare complication of a low carbohydrate diet with the possibility of Liraglutide injection attribution in developing such critical complication. Further studies are needed to evaluate the safety of a low carbohydrate diet and the effect of Liraglutide injection on these patients following this diet.