Reevaluating potassium supplementation in pediatric DKA: Is routine KPO₄ use necessary?

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a serious complication in pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes, requiring careful management of electrolyte imbalances, particularly for hypokalemia. This study evaluates the clinical outcomes of different potassium supplementation strategies during DKA treatment.

This retrospective cohort study analyzed pediatric DKA cases treated in a pediatric emergency department over a 13-year period. Outcomes included serum electrolyte imbalances, hyperchloremic acidosis contribution, time to acidosis resolution, and time to transition to subcutaneous (SC) insulin.

A total of 113 pediatric DKA individuals were included, with a median age of 9.23 (± 4.15) years; 58.4% (n = 66) were female. Among these 113 individuals, 36 (31.9%) were administered both potassium chloride (KCL) and potassium phosphate (KPO₄), whereas, 77 (68.1%) were administered KCL exclusively. No significant difference was observed between these two groups in terms of the severity of acidosis, the duration of acidosis recovery, and the incidence of hypokalemia and hyperchloremia.

The omission of KPO₄ supplementation in DKA treatment did not increase the risk of hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis, prolong acidosis resolution, delay transition to SC insulin therapy, or cause clinically significant hypophosphatemia. These findings suggest that KCl may be a valid alternative in the management of pediatric diabetic ketoacidosis when KPO₄ is unavailable; however, prospective randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm this observation.