Non-diabetic child with frequent Ketoacidosis

[manuela_it]

Hello everyone,
My son, 4yo, was admitted to hospital in May with suspected T1D, for 24 hours was treated as diabetic because he was in Ketoacidosis and, although he had empty stomach for hours, his blood sugar was 13mmol. Doctors monitored his blood sugar for 24h and it was normal. Glycated Hemoglobin was also normal. At this point they said he had a spike of blood sugar due to an infection. He was dismissed after a couple of days and docs said to monitor blood sugar when he was ill. Since May,he has been ill at least 3 times and everytime his blood sugar is normal,but he has high ketons in his blood. This September, he had Ketoacidosis twice within 7 days. Rest assured I will contact a professional on this matter, do you know why this is happening? Ps he had further tests showing that he has at least 1 antibody for diabetes type 1. Sorry for the bad English, I hope I was clear enough.

 

[KennyA]

Hi manuela

this does sound unusual - I'm T2 however and not best placed to advise. I'm tagging some T1 members who might be able to help.

tagging @Antje77; @Jaylee; @In Response

 

[KennyA]

@Zhnyaka aka ; @Westley

 

[Antje77]

Sorry for the bad English, I hope I was clear enough.

Very clear overview of what has been happening, don't worry about the English!

Rest assured I will contact a professional on this matter, do you know why this is happening?

I'm sorry, I haven't the faintest idea.

Since May,he has been ill at least 3 times and everytime his blood sugar is normal,but he has high ketons in his blood. This September, he had Ketoacidosis twice within 7 days.

How was the ketoacidosis treated? It's normally an emergency situation requiring drips and medication, and at least a couple of days in hospital.
Can it be he was in ketosis, not ketoacidosis? (Ketosis is normal when not eating, or not eating carbs.)
Ketoacidosis is very rare with normal blood sugars.

Have you already seen an endocrinologist? That's the doctor you need with some inconsistent diabetes like symptoms plus antibodies present.

Wish you all the best!

 

[Jaylee]

Hello everyone,
My son, 4yo, was admitted to hospital in May with suspected T1D, for 24 hours was treated as diabetic because he was in Ketoacidosis and, although he had empty stomach for hours, his blood sugar was 13mmol. Doctors monitored his blood sugar for 24h and it was normal. Glycated Hemoglobin was also normal. At this point they said he had a spike of blood sugar due to an infection. He was dismissed after a couple of days and docs said to monitor blood sugar when he was ill. Since May,he has been ill at least 3 times and everytime his blood sugar is normal,but he has high ketons in his blood. This September, he had Ketoacidosis twice within 7 days. Rest assured I will contact a professional on this matter, do you know why this is happening? Ps he had further tests showing that he has at least 1 antibody for diabetes type 1. Sorry for the bad English, I hope I was clear enough.

Hi,

What stands out for me is the fact the child hadn’t eaten which could have elevated ketone levels & been mistaken for DKA?
How long did the “13Mmol” last for?
Do you know what the ketone levels where when he was tested?

Best wishes…

 

[EllieM]

Hi @manuela_it

I agree with @Antje77 that dietary ketosis is normal if not eating or not eating carbs, so it's important to distinguish between that and diabetic ketoacidosis.

Ketosis vs ketoacidosis: Differences, symptoms, and causes

Ketosis and ketoacidosis both involve increased levels of ketones in the body. However, they are not the same thing. Nutritional ketosis is the aim of the ketogenic diet, and it is generally safe, whereas ketoacidosis is a complication of type 1 diabetes that can be life-threatening. Learn more...

www.medicalnewstoday.com

I wouldn't personally (disclaimer I am not a doctor and I don't have personal experience of young children with diabetes, I was diagnosed at 8 before the invention of glucometers) be too concerned by a one off highish reading.

And yes, an endocrinologist should be able to advise further.