Immediate Posthyperglycemic Care. When diabetic ketoacidosis has been controlled, subcutaneous insulin therapy can be started. The half-life of regular insulin is less than 10 minutes.
Besides, how do pediatrics manage DKA?
Key points. Treatment of DKA requires first and foremost fluid resuscitation with 0.9% saline, followed by replacement for 5%–10% dehydration, depending on severity, and maintenance with 0.45% saline, and early and adequate K replacement.
Thereof, is potassium low or high in DKA?
Patients in DKA are low in total body potassium and their serum concentration is falsely elevated due to extracellular shift. On average, patients will have a potassium deficit of 3-5 mEq/kg.
What are the key nursing responsibilities when treating DKA?
Nursing Management
- Monitor vitals.
- Check blood sugars and treat with insulin as ordered.
- Start two large-bore IVs.
- Administer fluids as recommended.
- Check electrolytes as potassium levels will drop with insulin treatment.
- Check renal function.
- Assess mental status.
- Look for signs of infection (a common cause of DKA)
What are the three criteria for DKA?
DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS
Three key features of diabetic acidosis are hyperglycemia, ketosis, and acidosis. The conditions that cause these metabolic abnormalities overlap.
What is the anion gap for DKA?
In mild DKA, anion gap is greater than 10 and in moderate or severe DKA the anion gap is greater than 12. These figures differentiate DKA from HHS where blood glucose is greater than 600 mg/dL but pH is greater than 7.3 and serum bicarbonate greater than 15 mEq/L.
What IV fluids are given for DKA?
Normal saline (0.9% sodium chloride) is the most commonly used intravenous fluid in treating DKA, but it has a very high concentration of chloride and can lead to additional acid production when given in large volumes.
What type of insulin is given in DKA?
Only short-acting insulin is used for correction of hyperglycemia in DKA. The optimal rate of glucose decline is 100 mg/dL/h. The blood glucose level should not be allowed to fall lower than 200 mg/dL during the first 4-5 hours of treatment.
When do you give Bicarb to DKA?
Consensus guidelines for the management of DKA recommended administering sodium bicarbonate to DKA patients who present with an initial blood gas pH of < 7.0. That recommendation was updated and changed in 2009 to limit sodium bicarbonate use to DKA patients with blood gas pH of < 6.9.
Why do we give dextrose in DKA?
Why is IV dextrose given to patients with DKA? When the serum glucose reaches 200 mg/dL in a patient with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), IV dextrose is added to avoid the development of cerebral edema. In addition, the rate of insulin infusion may need to be slowed down to between 0.02 and 0.05 units/kg/hr.
Why normal saline is used in DKA?
Importance Saline (0.9% sodium chloride), the fluid most commonly used to treat diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), can cause hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis. Balanced crystalloids, an alternative class of fluids for volume expansion, do not cause acidosis and, therefore, may lead to faster resolution of DKA than saline.