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Type 1 dka

K

kerry_l

Newbie
Messages
3
Location
Scotland
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
hey everyone I went into a DKA a few years ago after being ill for just over a year- I'm at uni now writing a report on what happened but I'm finding it difficult to find enough detailed information. I don't know all the details of what happened to me apart from I was put into an induced coma and slowly became better. I just wondered if anyone else had gone through this and was willing to message me some info on what the doctors and nurses did to treat you, I don't have my medical records to look through and google is only helpful so far, many thanks!
 
I've not been admitted into hospital with DKA but I'll 'bump' your post up the forum in the hope that other people may reply. Good luck with your report.
 
kerry_l said:
hey everyone I went into a DKA a few years ago after being ill for just over a year- I'm at uni now writing a report on what happened but I'm finding it difficult to find enough detailed information. I don't know all the details of what happened to me apart from I was put into an induced coma and slowly became better. I just wondered if anyone else had gone through this and was willing to message me some info on what the doctors and nurses did to treat you, I don't have my medical records to look through and google is only helpful so far, many thanks!
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I have been in hospital with DKA 3 times Erm obviously they put you on saline(water) to rehydrate you and then sliding scale of insulin, my last dka I nearly died as my potassium levels were dangerously low so I was on a potassium drip too, once discharged I was put on antacids for about a week and also potassium tablets for 2 days.. Any more info? :)
 
Incidentally they used to put people on what was called PIG drips (potassium, glucose and insulin) for operations. I wonder if you were put on this?
@ohitsnicola did you know what was happening to you on these occasions?
 
Thanks for your replies! I thought writing this report would be fairly straight forward but there's so many things to cover. Thanks for mentioning the potassium I can include that! I'm just finding it hard to remeber everything that happened to me, I remember having bad hallucinations but again don't remember what I was given?
 
I was in last month. They took bg..was 41 so they immediately put me on saline, insulin pump and loads of drips of potassium. Few days later I was given insulin injections and put on a sliding scale. I was given some drug to test my adreanls...was weird cause it made me exhausted, which was ok I was assured. They did lots of blood tests for my immune system and I got ultrasounds done on all my major organs that get affected by the betus :p They were all ok. In for a week in total
 
donnellysdogs said:
Incidentally they used to put people on what was called PIG drips (potassium, glucose and insulin) for operations. I wonder if you were put on this?
@ohitsnicola did you know what was happening to you on these occasions?
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When I was first admitted no I didn't because I was so out of it and just puking! I know I was on potassium and insulin though....glucose I am not so sure about....as I had plenty of that in me anyway ha!
 
kerry_l said:
Thanks for your replies! I thought writing this report would be fairly straight forward but there's so many things to cover. Thanks for mentioning the potassium I can include that! I'm just finding it hard to remeber everything that happened to me, I remember having bad hallucinations but again don't remember what I was given?
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I think the main things given are (insulin) obviously, saline, potassium and oh anti sickness pills!
 
I have had DKA a total of three times. What I have found is that there is a major difference in treatment in regards to how advanced the DKA is.
The first time I had DKA was the worst. It developed in a total of 2 hours due to a serious infection. I was admitted straight away, put on oxygen, saline and sliding scale drip. I was closely monitored in a&e for a few hours and then I went to HDU ward. I stayed there over night as my kidneys and heart were showing signs of stress. Then I was moved to ITU ward where I was kept for a further 5 days, on the third day I was allowed back on my insulin pump. All tests were done on all organs, as well as drip antibiotics for the infection. I was then moved to a regular ward for a night and then released with a further 3 weeks of antibiotics.
 
Emma_P23 said:
I have had DKA a total of three times. What I have found is that there is a major difference in treatment in regards to how advanced the DKA is.
The first time I had DKA was the worst. It developed in a total of 2 hours due to a serious infection. I was admitted straight away, put on oxygen, saline and sliding scale drip. I was closely monitored in a&e for a few hours and then I went to HDU ward. I stayed there over night as my kidneys and heart were showing signs of stress. Then I was moved to ITU ward where I was kept for a further 5 days, on the third day I was allowed back on my insulin pump. All tests were done on all organs, as well as drip antibiotics for the infection. I was then moved to a regular ward for a night and then released with a further 3 weeks of antibiotics.
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That sounds similar to my last DKA, mine stemmed from a foot ulcer which my GP failed to treat properly which led me to DKA and close to a bone infection so I was seriously ill...joys of being a diabetic aye! I was in for about a week!! And even after the IV antibiotics, I was then on antibiotics for a further six months!
 
ohitsnicola said:
That sounds similar to my last DKA, mine stemmed from a foot ulcer which my GP failed to treat properly which led me to DKA and close to a bone infection so I was seriously ill...joys of being a diabetic aye! I was in for about a week!! And even after the IV antibiotics, I was then on antibiotics for a further six months!
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Yes mine was a missed infection by my doctor. I was told it was a bad cold... I had a chest infection and throat infection. But yes definitely the joys of diabetes! Lol. Determined to never get to that point again though! :-)
 
Emma_P23 said:
Yes mine was a missed infection by my doctor. I was told it was a bad cold... I had a chest infection and throat infection. But yes definitely the joys of diabetes! Lol. Determined to never get to that point again though! :)
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My toe had started going like black and I could barely walk on it so I went to the walk in centre and they said it was starting to track up my foot and leg...GP gave me antibiotics...I felt terrible and a week later I was in DKA....I thought my first 2 lots were bad but boy this was worse...black sick all over me...horrible aint it! I am hoping I won't be back there managed to lower my hba1c now!
 
ohitsnicola said:
My toe had started going like black and I could barely walk on it so I went to the walk in centre and they said it was starting to track up my foot and leg...GP gave me antibiotics...I felt terrible and a week later I was in DKA....I thought my first 2 lots were bad but boy this was worse...black sick all over me...horrible aint it! I am hoping I won't be back there managed to lower my hba1c now!
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Yes mine was very similar. Being my first case of DKA, I didn't know what it was. My parents thought I'd been drinking and put it down to that. I was up all night being sick, to the point where my parents finally believed me I hadn't touched any alcohol and they took me to the hospital. Scariest day of my life. Blood sugars were around 10 when I went to bed so not so bad, then it developed quickly from there. My hba1c still isn't perfect, but I have finally given myself a kick up the bum to sort it out. :-)
 
Emma_P23 said:
Yes mine was very similar. Being my first case of DKA, I didn't know what it was. My parents thought I'd been drinking and put it down to that. I was up all night being sick, to the point where my parents finally believed me I hadn't touched any alcohol and they took me to the hospital. Scariest day of my life. Blood sugars were around 10 when I went to bed so not so bad, then it developed quickly from there. My hba1c still isn't perfect, but I have finally given myself a kick up the bum to sort it out. :)
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My first case of DKA was within the first year of being diagnosed...I don't think I had come to grips with it etc and I certainly wasn't on enough insulin..that was when I was on novo mix 30...I was then put onto levemir...and it happened again after 2 years, and that was when I was put onto the adult clinic and they told me my pediatrics hadn't put me on near as enough insulin as I should have been! And then finally my last lot was because of my foot....but the thing that annoys me the most is my Dad giving me so much stick thinking I had deliberately done it....they dont understand how hard it is hmph grrrrrr! Heyho! Mine isn't perfect now either but it is better! :)
 
ohitsnicola said:
My first case of DKA was within the first year of being diagnosed...I don't think I had come to grips with it etc and I certainly wasn't on enough insulin..that was when I was on novo mix 30...I was then put onto levemir...and it happened again after 2 years, and that was when I was put onto the adult clinic and they told me my pediatrics hadn't put me on near as enough insulin as I should have been! And then finally my last lot was because of my foot....but the thing that annoys me the most is my Dad giving me so much stick thinking I had deliberately done it....they dont understand how hard it is hmph grrrrrr! Heyho! Mine isn't perfect now either but it is better! :)
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I've had it 18 years now. The first case of DKA was in 2008. But I had never been told about it and there is plenty of diabetics in my family. It was just a lack of knowledge really. Yes it can be frustrating when people don't truly understand what it's like. My parents aren't nasty or dismissive about it, but they don't understand how it makes me feel. I'm always tired and I'm paranoid about potential complications, also when I basal test, they moan that I'm not eating! Lol. I am lucky that they do care a lot though. :-)
 
Emma_P23 said:
I've had it 18 years now. The first case of DKA was in 2008. But I had never been told about it and there is plenty of diabetics in my family. It was just a lack of knowledge really. Yes it can be frustrating when people don't truly understand what it's like. My parents aren't nasty or dismissive about it, but they don't understand how it makes me feel. I'm always tired and I'm paranoid about potential complications, also when I basal test, they moan that I'm not eating! Lol. I am lucky that they do care a lot though. :)
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Ah there is only me and my cousin who has it, I was diagnosed in 2008...my Dad does care but he has a funny way of showing it and he can be very harsh! Tough love I guess!
 
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