How long diabetic coma

In order to pick up the earliest signs of ketoacidosis, people with type 1 diabetes whose blood glucose levels are particularly high require more frequent monitoring of blood glucose. Checking of ketone levels is also recommended. If available, blood ketone testing is preferred. If blood ketone testing is not available, urine testing may be used. A diabetic hyperosmolar coma is caused by severe dehydration and very high blood glucose levels hyperglycaemia.

Events that can lead to high blood glucose levels include:. Those at most risk of this type of coma are people with type 2 diabetes, who have an infection or acute illness and have reduced their intake of fluids. The kidneys respond to high levels of blood glucose by doing their best to remove it, along with a great deal of water. They will become dehydrated and urgently need intravenous fluids. Without this kind of treatment, they may lapse into hyperosmolar coma. Hyperosmolar coma develops slowly over several days or weeks, so if the high blood glucose levels or dehydration are detected and treated early, coma can be prevented.

Hypoglycaemia, or low blood glucose levels below 3. If the blood glucose falls to very low levels, the person may become unconscious hypoglycaemic coma and seizures may occur. A coma is a medical emergency. The cause of a diabetic coma is diagnosed using a number of tests including:.

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This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information. Left untreated, it can lead to a diabetic coma. Diabetic ketoacidosis is most common in type 1 diabetes but sometimes occurs in type 2 diabetes or gestational diabetes.

Diabetic hyperosmolar syndrome. Severely high blood sugar turns your blood thick and syrupy. The excess sugar passes from your blood into your urine, which triggers a filtering process that draws tremendous amounts of fluid from your body. Left untreated, this can lead to life-threatening dehydration and a diabetic coma. About 25 to 50 percent of people with diabetic hyperosmolar syndrome develop a coma. Anyone who has diabetes is at risk of a diabetic coma, but the following factors can increase the risk:.

An illness, trauma or surgery. When you're sick or injured, blood sugar levels tend to rise, sometimes dramatically. This may cause diabetic ketoacidosis if you have type 1 diabetes and don't increase your insulin dosage to compensate. Medical conditions, such as congestive heart failure or kidney disease, also may increase your risk of diabetic hyperosmolar syndrome.

A continuous glucose monitor CGM is a device that measures your blood sugar every few minutes using a sensor inserted under the skin.

Good day-to-day control of your diabetes can help you prevent a diabetic coma. Keep these tips in mind:. Consider a continuous glucose monitor CGM , especially if you have trouble maintaining stable blood sugar levels or you don't feel symptoms of low blood sugar hypoglycemia unawareness.

CGMs are devices that use a small sensor inserted underneath the skin to track trends in your blood sugar levels and transmit the information to a wireless device. Eating or drinking a source of glucose will bring blood glucose levels back into the healthy range, and the person will feel better almost immediately. If the person does not notice or act on the symptoms and the glucose levels continue to decrease, they will become unconscious. Diabetic ketoacidosis is a serious complication of type 1 diabetes that arises when levels of ketones in the blood become too high and the acid level of the blood increases.

It can also result in a diabetic coma. The levels of ketones in the blood can become too high if an individual is using fat rather than sugar as an energy source.

This occurs in people with type 1 diabetes for a variety of reasons, including not receiving enough insulin or illness. People with diabetic ketoacidosis will also have high levels of glucose in their blood since the sugar cannot go from the blood and into the cells. The body tries to reduce the high glucose levels by allowing glucose to leave the body in the urine. However, this also causes the body to lose more water. Diabetic hyperglycemic hyperosmolar syndrome usually affects older people who have poorly-controlled type 2 diabetes.

A person with hyperosmolar syndrome will have normal blood ketone levels and a normal acid balance. Initial treatment is with an injection of saline solution into the veins. This will rehydrate the person and help to lower blood glucose levels. Blood sugar monitoring kits are available for purchase online. Recognizing the early signs of low or high blood sugar levels and regular monitoring can help people with diabetes keep their blood sugar levels within the healthy range.