The Management of Diabetic Ketoacidosis in Adults

The Management of Diabetic Ketoacidosis in Adults - Joint British Diabetes Societies for Inpatient Care (JBDS-IP), 2021

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a frequent and potentially life-threatening complication of type 1 diabetes. Though preventable and despite advances in monitoring technologies, insulin therapeutics and insulin delivery systems, the rates of both community and hospital acquired DKA remain largely unchanged. Although mortality today is relatively low it is generally accepted that mismanagement after hospital admission is an important contributory factor to in hospital mortality, morbidity, increased length of stay and high readmission rates. The first Joint British Diabetes Societies (JBDS) guidance document on the management of DKA published in over a decade ago, recognised that there was a large variation in management across the UK with many hospital trusts having no trust wide guidelines and where these existed they were not always followed. The JBDS guidance based on evidence where it existed and consensus opinion from a multidisciplinary group of experienced practicing specialists was welcomed by the diabetes community. It has been almost universally adopted in the United Kingdom, has had world-wide recognition, and together with the updated guidance in 2013 has been downloaded over 100,000 times.

The 2021 guidance is a welcome and a timely update as there has been much new learning since previous publications.


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