Blood Ketones

DKA is associated with acute hyperglycemia, a severe insulin deficiency, and a disruption of the body’s acid-base balance. Excess ketones and glucose are dumped into the urine by the kidneys in an effort to flush them from the body. This causes increased urination, thirst, dehydration, and a loss of electrolytes. The affected person may also experience symptoms such as rapid breathing, shortness of breath, a fruit-scent to the breath, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, confusion, and eventually coma.

Ketosis and ketoacidosis may also be seen with starvation, alcoholism, and with high-fat low-carbohydrate diets. It may be induced on purpose in some children with epilepsy who have frequent seizures and do not respond to available medications or other treatments.

Blood ketones are sometimes used, along with other tests such as blood gases, glucose, and electrolytes to detect ketoacidosis in non-diabetics if they have signs and symptoms of DKA due to, for example, ingestion of excessive amounts of alcohol.

• increased urination, excessive thirst
• dehydration, loss of electrolytes
• rapid breathing, shortness of breath
• a fruit-scent to the breath
• nausea, vomiting
• fatigue
• confusion
• sometimes coma

In non-diabetics, blood ketones are usually ordered when the patient has symptoms associated with ketosis or ketoacidosis.