Use of sodium bicarbonate and blood gas monitoring in diabetic ketoacidosis: A review

Diabetic Ketoacidosis in Children and Adolescents; Diagnostic and Therapeutic Pitfalls

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) represents an acute, severe complication of relative insulin deficiency and a common presentation of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) primarily and, occasionally, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) in children and adolescents. It is characterized by the biochemical triad of hyperglycaemia, ketonaemia and/or ketonuria, and acidaemia. Clinical symptoms include dehydration, tachypnoea, gastrointestinal symptoms, and reduced level of consciousness, precipitated by a variably long period of polyuria, polydipsia, and weight loss. The present review aims to summarize potential pitfalls in the diagnosis and management of DKA. A literature review was conducted using the Pubmed/Medline and Scopus databases including articles published from 2000 onwards. Diagnostic challenges include differentiating between T1DM and T2DM, between DKA and hyperosmolar hyperglycaemic state (HHS), and between DKA and alternative diagnoses presenting with overlapping symptoms, such as pneumonia, asthma exacerbation, urinary tract infection, gastroenteritis, acute abdomen, and central nervous system infection. The mainstays of DKA management include careful fluid resuscitation, timely intravenous insulin administration, restoration of shifting electrolyte disorders and addressing underlying precipitating factors. However, evidence suggests that optimal treatment remains a therapeutic challenge. Accurate and rapid diagnosis, prompt intervention, and meticulous monitoring are of major importance to break the vicious cycle of life-threatening events and prevent severe complications during this potentially fatal medical emergency.

Diabetes Ketoacidosis and Hyperosmolar Hyperglycemic Syndrome in Companion Animals

Diabetes mellitus is a common endocrinopathy in dogs and cats. Diabetes ketoacidosis (DKA) and hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state (HHS) are life-threatening complications of diabetes resulting from an imbalance between insulin and the glucose counter-regulatory hormones. The first part of this review focuses on the pathophysiology of DKA and HHS, and rarer complications such as euglycemic DKA and hyperosmolar DKA. The second part of this review focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of these complications.

Management of Diabetic Ketoacidosis in Pregnancy

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a rare, but potentially life-threatening complication of diabetes. Certain physiological changes during pregnancy predispose pregnant individuals to developing DKA. Early recognition and aggressive treatment are essential to avoid maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Although laboratory values can help to support, pregnant patients with DKA may not meet the usual criteria and the diagnosis can be made clinically. The key components to treatment include volume replacement, insulin infusion, correction of serum potassium, and fetal monitoring. With appropriate treatment, maternal mortality is low. After recovery, steps should be taken to avoid recurrence.

Treatment Considerations and Pharmacist Collaborative Care in Diabetic Ketoacidosis Management

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a medical emergency caused by the lack of insulin. Metabolic acidosis, hyperglycemia, and ketoacidosis are its defining features. Insulin deficiency can cause DKA either in the presence or absence of a triggering event causing a chain of pathophysiological changes. Normalizing volume status, hyperglycemia, electrolytes, and ketoacidosis are the objectives of DKA treatment. While hospital pharmacists are involved in managing DKA, community or ambulatory care pharmacists can help to prevent DKA. Depending on the particular field of practice, a pharmacist’s engagement in DKA may involve a number of factors. Inpatient pharmacists are in a good position to help with the acute care of DKA. Because they can recognize patients who are at risk for DKA due to factors including medication nonadherence or insulin pump failure, pharmacists in the community or ambulatory-care environment play a crucial role in its prevention. When a patient finds it challenging to navigate prescription plan coverage or a lack of coverage, community pharmacists can help them obtain insulin. Regardless of the professional environment, patient education is essential. Every pharmacist has the ability to give DKA patients thorough medication education that emphasizes the value of adhering to their drug schedule, addresses any obstacles that may occur, and teaches patients how to correctly monitor their blood glucose levels. Studies showed that pharmacists’ medication counseling and treatment monitoring could improve adherence to insulin medication. The aim of this review is to provide evidence that pharmacists can contribute to optimizing medication adherence and decrease the incidence of DKA.

Potential Clinical Applications for Continuous Ketone Monitoring in the Hospitalized Patient with Diabetes

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

In this review, the authors discuss potential clinical applications for continuous ketone monitoring (CKM) in a broad continuum of clinical settings from pre-hospital care and the emergency department to acute inpatient management and post-discharge follow-up.

RECENT FINDINGS

Though in its early stages, the concept of a novel continuous ketone sensing technology exerts great potential for use in the detection and hospital management of DKA, namely to overcome diagnostic barriers associated with ketoacidosis in patients with diabetes and obtain real-time BOHB levels, which may be useful in understanding both patients' response to treatment and DKA trajectory. Peri- and intra-operative use of CKM technology can potentially be applied in a number of urgent and elective surgical procedures frequently underwent by patients with diabetes and in the observation of patients during peri-operative fasting. In transitional care management, CKM technology could potentially facilitate patients' safe transition through levels of care, following hospital discharge from a DKA episode. This evaluation of the literature presents the potential advantages of adopting CKM and integrating this technology into the care algorithm of patients at risk for ketoacidosis.

Endocrine Emergencies During Pregnancy: Diabetic Ketoacidosis and Thyroid Storm

The physiologic changes and common signs and symptoms of pregnancy can make the early recognition of endocrine emergencies more challenging. Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) can occur at only modestly elevated glucose levels (euglycemic DKA), often accompanied by starvation ketosis due to substantial fetal-placental glucose demands and is associated with a high stillbirth rate. Thyroid storm is life threatening with a higher rate of heart failure and both require prompt and aggressive treatment to avoid maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Treatment of these disorders and the special considerations for recognition and management in the context of pregnancy are reviewed.

Nanoantidote for repression of acidosis pH promoting COVID-19 infection

Acidosis, such as respiratory acidosis and metabolic acidosis, can be induced by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection and is associated with increased mortality in critically ill COVID-19 patients. It remains unclear whether acidosis further promotes SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients, making virus removal difficult. For antacid therapy, sodium bicarbonate poses great risks caused by sodium overload, bicarbonate side effects, and hypocalcemia. Therefore, new antacid antidote is urgently needed. Our study showed that an acidosis-related pH of 6.8 increases SARS-CoV-2 receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) expression on the cell membrane by regulating intracellular microfilament polymerization, promoting SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus infection. Based on this, we synthesized polyglutamic acid-PEG materials, used complexation of calcium ions and carboxyl groups to form the core, and adopted biomineralization methods to form a calcium carbonate nanoparticles (CaCO3-NPs) nanoantidote to neutralize excess hydrogen ions (H+), and restored the pH from 6.8 to approximately 7.4 (normal blood pH). CaCO3-NPs effectively prevented the heightened SARS-CoV-2 infection efficiency due to pH 6.8. Our study reveals that acidosis-related pH promotes SARS-CoV-2 infection, which suggests the existence of a positive feedback loop in which SARS-CoV-2 infection-induced acidosis enhances SARS-CoV-2 infection. Therefore, antacid therapy for acidosis COVID-19 patients is necessary. CaCO3-NPs may become an effective antacid nanoantidote superior to sodium bicarbonate.

Updates in the Management of Hyperglycemic Crisis

Diabetes mellitus (DM) affects the metabolism of primary macronutrients such as proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Due to the high prevalence of DM, emergency admissions for hyperglycemic crisis, diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and hyperglycemic hyperosmolar state (HHS) are fairly common and represent very challenging clinical management in practice. DKA and HHS are associated with high mortality rates if left not treated. The mortality rate for patients with DKA is < 1% and ~ 15% for HHS. DKA and HHS have similar pathophysiology with some few differences. HHS pathophysiology is not fully understood. However, an absolute or relative effective insulin concentration reduction and increased in catecholamines, cortisol, glucagon, and growth hormones represent the mainstay behind DKA pathophysiology. Reviewing the patient’s history to identify and modify any modifiable precipitating factors is crucial to prevent future events. The aim of this review article is to provide a review of the DKA, and HHS management based on the most recently published evidence and to provide suggested management pathway of DKA of HHS management in practice.

Acid-base balance and cerebrovascular regulation

The regulation and defence of intracellular pH is essential for homeostasis. Indeed, alterations in cerebrovascular acid-base balance directly affect cerebral blood flow (CBF) which has implications for human health and disease. For example, changes in CBF regulation during acid-base disturbances are evident in conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetic ketoacidosis. The classic experimental studies from the past 75+ years are utilized to describe the integrative relationships between CBF, carbon dioxide tension (PCO₂ ), bicarbonate (HCO₃ ^- ) and pH. These factors interact to influence (1) the time course of acid-base compensatory changes and the respective cerebrovascular responses (due to rapid exchange kinetics between arterial blood, extracellular fluid and intracellular brain tissue). We propose that alterations in arterial [HCO₃ ^- ] during acute respiratory acidosis/alkalosis contribute to cerebrovascular acid-base regulation; and (2) the regulation of CBF by direct changes in arterial vs. extravascular/interstitial PCO₂ and pH - the latter recognized as the proximal compartment which alters vascular smooth muscle cell regulation of CBF. Taken together, these results substantiate two key ideas: first, that the regulation of CBF is affected by the severity of metabolic/respiratory disturbances, including the extent of partial/full acid-base compensation; and second, that the regulation of CBF is independent of arterial pH and that diffusion of CO₂ across the blood-brain barrier is integral to altering perivascular extracellular pH. Overall, by realizing the integrative relationships between CBF, PCO₂ , HCO₃ ^- and pH, experimental studies may provide insights to improve CBF regulation in clinical practice with treatment of systemic acid-base disorders.

Bicarbonate Therapy for Critically Ill Patients with Metabolic Acidosis: A Systematic Review

The management of acid-base disorders always calls for precise diagnosis and treatment of the underlying disease. Sometimes additional means are necessary to combat systemic acidity itself. In this systematic review, we discuss the concept and some specific aspects of bicarbonate therapy for critically ill patients with metabolic acidosis (i.e., patients with blood pH < 7.35). We conducted a systematic literature review of three online databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane) in November 2018 to validate usage of bicarbonate therapy for critically ill patients with metabolic acidosis. Twelve trials and case series were included in the final analysis, from which we assessed population, intervention, comparison, and outcome data. The current literature suggests limited benefit from bicarbonate therapy for patients with severe metabolic acidosis (pH < 7.1 and bicarbonate < 6 mEq/L). However, bicarbonate therapy does yield improvement in survival for patients with accompanying acute kidney injury.