[Diabetic coma. A report of 752 cases between 1931 and 1973]

752 diabetic comata (150 non-ketoacidotic and 602 ketoacidotic) from the period between 1931 and 1973 were investigated with regard to type of coma, age, sex, blood sugar, body type, previous therapy, presence of infections and their location and lethality. The blood sugar rose from 521 mg percent in the period from 1931-1940 to 701 mg percent in the period from 1971-73, and age from 33.9 to 53.7 years. Patients without ketoacidosis had higher blood sugar and were older than those with ketoacidosis. Lethality was higher in women than in men. Mortality was higher with obesity (28.8 percent compared to 20.1 percent). 23.9 percent of them were "manifestation" comata of which 43.1 percent died. The lowest lethality was found in the 453 diabetics who had been treated with insulin (14.6 percent). Infections were demonstrable in 431 patients (57.3 percent). Of these, 30.1 percent died, of patients without infections 19.6 percent died. Mortality was 74.6 percent where infections were present in two or more organs.