Criteria
Hyperglycemic crises in adult patients with diabetes: a consensus statement from the American Diabetes Association[1]
Plasma glucose (mg/dL)
>250 in DKA.
Arterial pH
7.25 to 7.3 in mild DKA
7.00 to <7.24 in moderate DKA
<7.00 in severe DKA.
Serum bicarbonate (mEq/L)
15-18 in mild DKA
10-15 in moderate DKA
<10 in severe DKA.
Urine and serum ketones (nitroprusside reaction method)
+ in DKA.
Effective serum osmolality (mOsm/kg)
variable in DKA.
Anion gap (mEq/L)
>10 in mild DKA
>12 in moderate and severe DKA.
Mental status
alert in mild DKA
alert/drowsy in moderate DKA
stupor/coma in severe DKA.[1]
The most widely used diagnostic criteria for DKA are plasma glucose >250 mg/dL, arterial pH <7.3, and presence of ketonemia and/or ketonuria. However, severity of DKA or the required number of criteria for diagnosis have not been officially stated, and the above-mentioned classification has been based heavily on prospective studies of DKA.[1]
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