Alcoholic Ketoacidosis: What to Know About This Medical Emergency

The patient should have blood glucose checked on the initial presentation. The next important step in the management of AKA is to give isotonic fluid resuscitation. Dextrose is required to break the cycle of ketogenesis and increase insulin secretion.

And if the idea of cutting down on drinking seems impossible to you, it’s probably time to search for help. Remember that addiction is a medical condition, and there’s no shame in seeking professional help. You don’t need to put yourself at risk for illnesses like alcoholic ketoacidosis and all the problems that come with them. The long-term outlook for recovery following alcoholic ketoacidosis depends on various factors, including your overall health, the extent of organ damage, and your average alcohol intake.

Treatment of Severe Acidosis

The dextrose will also increase glycogen stores and diminish counterregulatory hormone levels. It is essential to administer thiamine before any glucose administration to avoid Wernicke’s encephalopathy preci[itation. If severe hypokalemia is present dextrose containing fluids can be held until potassium levels are normalized. Other electrolyte abnormalities concomitantly present with alcohol abuse and poor oral intake include hypomagnesemia and hypophosphatemia.

• For example, sober living allows them to recover while being in a safe and positive space where they are encouraged and motivated to grow and improve their well-being.
• When the body is depleted of carbohydrates and protein stores, fatty acids are released from fatty tissue.
• The role of lactate, as well as the potential development of alkalosis or acid-base disturbances, is significant in understanding this condition.

Signs of shock including tachycardia and hypotension can be complicated by overlap of alcohol withdrawal [2]. Electrolyte abnormalities are common to this condition and can precipitate fatal cardiac arrhythmias [3, 4]. People with this condition are usually admitted to the hospital, often to the intensive care unit (ICU).

How Alcohol Affects Ketoacidosis

At our treatment centers, we offer the medical attention you need, combined with the caring, confidential services you deserve. Our team is skilled at helping individuals overcome the negative effects of alcohol alcoholic ketoacidosis smell abuse and get on the road to lasting recovery. Chronic alcohol use may lead to ketoacidosis, but it can also have severe and far-reaching effects on your health and relationships that aren’t reversible.

• In particular, cases of AKA can be misdiagnosed as diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).
• She was discharged home and has been well on follow-up appointments.
• And if the idea of cutting down on drinking seems impossible to you, it’s probably time to search for help.
• These can be in the form of recovery homes or transitional houses where fellow residents and mental health and recovery professionals are with them all the time as they progress slowly toward long-term sobriety.

Your doctor may also admit you to the intensive care unit (ICU) if you require ongoing care. The length of your hospital stay depends on the severity of the alcoholic ketoacidosis. It also depends on how long it takes to get your body regulated and out of danger. If you have any additional complications during treatment, this will also affect the length of your hospital stay. It’s not guaranteed that every person who drinks will experience alcoholic ketoacidosis, and there are no exact figures on the condition’s prevalence. Still, individuals who drink heavily are more at risk for alcoholic ketoacidosis.

What to Know About Alcoholic Ketoacidosis

Someone may think they are consuming 3-4 drinks a day when, in actuality, they are consuming closer to 6 or more. Having six or more drinks would be considered a binge drinking episode. Vomiting caused by alcohol consumption can lead to dehydration, which may, in turn, cause low blood pressure and stress response from the body that causes further ketone production. You may also be admitted into intensive care if you need more care over a period of time. How long you stay depends on the severity of your ketoacidosis and how long your body takes to get back to normal. If you have symptoms of alcoholic ketoacidosis, your doctor will likely perform a physical examination as well as multiple tests before they give you a final diagnosis.

But it can happen after an episode of binge drinking in people who do not chronically abuse alcohol. Alcoholic ketoacidosis doesn’t occur more often in any particular race or sex. In general, the prognosis for a patient presenting with AKA is good as long as the condition is identified and treated early. The major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients diagnosed with AKA is under-recognition of concomitant diseases (that may have precipitated the AKA, to begin with).

Differential diagnosis

As we’re sure you’re aware, the human body extracts glucose from the food we eat to use as energy. Glucose from our food and insulin from our pancreas are both required for our individual cells to function correctly. Join 40,000+ People Who Receive Our Newsletter Get valuable resources on addiction, recovery, wellness, and our treatments delivered directly to your inbox.

On hospital day three, the patient was discharged home with outpatient services for his alcohol use disorder. Medical professionals use a combination of test results to assess if an individual is in a state of ketoacidosis, a condition characterized by elevated levels of ketones in the blood. These tests include measuring ketone levels, often detecting high concentrations of acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyrate. Additionally, they may evaluate blood glucose levels, as well as assess for metabolic acidosis by checking factors such as anion gap and bicarbonate levels. In cases where alcohol consumption is suspected as the cause, doctors will consider this information alongside clinical symptoms.