Diagnosis and Treatment > Signs and Symptoms
Search for other papers by Gordon Sloan in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Amjad Ali in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Jonathan Webster in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Summary
Ketoacidosis occurring during lactation has been described infrequently. The condition is incompletely understood, but it appears to be associated with a combination of increased metabolic demands during lactation, reduction in carbohydrate intake and acute illness. We present a case of a 27-year-old woman, 8 weeks post-partum, who was exclusively breastfeeding her child whilst following a low carbohydrate diet. She developed gastroenteritis and was unable to tolerate an oral diet for several days. She presented with severe metabolic acidosis on admission with a blood 3-hydroxybutyrate of 5.4 mmol/L. She was treated with intravenous dextrose and intravenous sodium bicarbonate, and given dietary advice to increase her carbohydrate intake. She made a rapid and full recovery. We provide a summary of the common causes of ketoacidosis and compare our case with other presentations of lactation ketoacidosis.
Learning points:
-
Ketoacidosis in the lactating woman is a rare cause of raised anion gap metabolic acidosis.
-
Low carbohydrate intake, starvation, intercurrent illness or a combination of these factors could put breastfeeding women at risk of ketoacidosis.
-
Ketoacidosis in the lactating woman has been shown to resolve rapidly with sufficient carbohydrate intake and intravenous dextrose.
-
Early diagnosis and prompt treatment are essential because the condition is reported to be reversible with a low chance of recurrence with appropriate dietary advice.
Search for other papers by A Majid in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, University of Otago, Dunedin School of Medicine, Dunedin, New Zealand
Search for other papers by B J Wheeler in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Summary
In clinical practice, seizures independent of hypoglycemia are observed in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) more frequently than expected by chance, suggesting a link. However, seizures during management of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) have generally been considered a bad prognostic factor, and usually associated with well-known biochemical or neurological complications. We present the case of a 17-year-old girl with known T1DM managed for severe DKA complicated by hypocapnic seizure. We review the literature on this rare occurrence as well as outline other possible differentials to consider when faced with the alarming combination of DKA and seizure.
Learning points:
-
Seizures during DKA treatment require immediate management as well as evaluation to determine their underlying cause.
-
Their etiology is varied, but a lowered seizure threshold, electrolyte disturbances and serious neurological complications of DKA such as cerebral edema must all be considered.
-
Sudden severe hypocapnia may represent a rare contributor to seizure during the treatment of DKA.
