March 11, 2021

Characteristics of and Mortality Associated With Diabetic Ketoacidosis Among US Patients Hospitalized With or Without COVID-19

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Clinical Characteristics and Health Care Setting

Keywords (Tags): clinical characteristics

• 30% of patients with COVID-19 and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) died in the hospital (64 of 210) compared to 5% of patients with DKA but without COVID-19 (262 of 4,819), according to a cohort study of 5,029 patients admitted to 175 hospitals across the US. Conducted between February to September 2020, the study also found that overall inpatient mortality among patients with DKA over age 65 was 45% for those with COVID-19, and 13% for those without COVID-19. Additionally, patients with COVID-19 had a higher frequency of acute kidney injury, higher body mass index in all age strata, higher insulin requirements, and prolonged time to resolution of DKA.

Pasquel et al. (Mar 10, 2021). Characteristics of and Mortality Associated With Diabetic Ketoacidosis Among US Patients Hospitalized With or Without COVID-19. JAMA Network Open. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.1091