ketones in 4 y.o. non-diabetic

[lorit]

Although I am an RN, I am still worried about my son.  I took him into the doc this past Wed. for unusually poor behavior the past couple of weeks, and a couple of episodes of unrinary incontinence.  I thought he may have a UTI or earache.  They did a urinalysis and the only abnormal was KETONES-15 (low).  They want to repeat it in a month. Never a fever, is a persnickty eater, but does have an apple and P.B. everyday and a whole wheat english muffin with cream cheese in the am, or toast with "dippy" egg.  So he is NOT even close to starving! Why are these Ketones showing up?  I did check a blood sugar on him (using my neighbors BGM, just for my own piece of mind.)  He had not eaten yet and it was 119.  I called to doc's office with this and they told me to take him to the ER right away.....?  Well I didn't because he was awake, alert, and playing.  Should I be concerned?  I've checked his urine with dipsticks 2 times.  Once he had a tract amount of ketones, and once it was negative.  His blood sugar this am before eating was 98.  Again, am I missing something here, should I be concerned?  Thanks!

[maggie56]

i am not diabetic but have ketones, blood & air bubbles in my uring. I am tired but apart from that appear to be in good health. what do you think?

[galzee]

Lorit,  What did the ER docs say about the ketones?  It definitely sounds like it's not diabetes, so there's a Christmas blessing right there!  Did they check his thyroid?  Make sure your son drinks lots of fluids to flush the ketones.  Try to relax and have a Merry Christmas!

[JDRF-Team-gg]

Hi Lorit!  I am a volunteer, not a medical professional, and a Mom of an 18 year old girl who was diagnosed at the age of 21 months.  Please verify any information given, with your son's physician.  I am not telling you this because I think your child has diabetes (his fasting bg's don't seem too high to me), just thought it may make you feel more comfortable knowing my story and give you a different perspective.  Practically all of the folks that I've met through The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation over the past 17 years, tell of misdiagnosis of their child's diabetes.  When my daughter was drinking & peeing non-stop, my doctor diagnosed a UTI and after a couple of days with no change, ordered a stool sample to check for infection there, and only when I insisted on blood work did the diagnosis of type 1 diabetes get made.  My daughter was also losing weight, but when you're with them every day, you don't see this sometimes.  Not to scare you, but to make you aware...my daughter's bg was 919 on the way to the ER and she seemed fine to us.  Now that I know the classic signs of diabetes, and being a medical professional, you know them too, I can remember seeing many of these signs in my daughter.  You need to go with your gut instinct as a Mom and an RN.

Seeing that it is the holiday week-end, and you do have access to a bg monitor and ketone strips, I'd call first thing Monday morning and schedule some fasting bg work.  Just to be sure.  You may want to check his bg an hour after he's had a sweet treat and see where's he's at.  Just make sure his hands are clean and there isn't any sugar on them!  It may help to put your mind at ease.

Please let us know how you make out with your son and try to relax and enjoy your holiday week-end!