worried about a problem?

[lostmother]

Hi am a mother of a 9 year old son that was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in january of 2005. Since then he has been admitted to the hospital eighttimes for DKA. I keep wondering is there something that I have might have done to make my son keep having DKA. Can someone share some light on me with this?

[JDRF-VOL-SG]

The term is short for diabetic ketoacidosis. This is when high glucose levels (often due to sickness such as a virus) cause the body to start using up its own stores of fat in order to have something to convert to energy. It can be lethal if not treated very quickly, especially in children. This is why hospitals usually hospitalize diabetic children who have ketones showing in their urine (which shows that they are in this condition). It is not something that doctors can leave alone and give more insulin and hope it will improve. It requires constant monitoring and quick medical attention to protect the child.

Some people fall into this condition more easily than others, for some reason. It is never a problem for some diabetic children or adults, while others have to be on constant lookout for the presence of keytones if they get sick.

[Question Seeker]

May I ask what DKA is?

I have been a diabetic for 19 years, that term has never crossed me before.

[Forum-vol-wak]

I am the mom of a type one diabetic, not physician.  DKA happens when the blood sugars are high and the body by product is ketones.  We have found that the be4stway to avoid this is by having our daughter check her blood 6-8 times a day.  When her blood sugar is over 225 we have her check for ketone thru her urine.  If she has ketones we give her extra no carb fluids and contact per endocrinologist on how to adjust her insulin dosage.   We do this because sometimes she has ketones due to being ill other times it is a missed bolus from the pump or not enough insulin.  

I would suggest you talk to your Childs endocrinologist or CDE on better ways for you as a team to get this situation under control.  If they will not help you I would suggest you get a second opinion. For another pediatric endocrinologist.  
Being admitted that many times in 2 years is way too many.


If your son is on shots I would suggest   thinking about going on pump therapy or going on to more frequent shots daily.
I hope this helps