Year-end Sale % OFF 
Abstract
Ketogenic diet or very-low-carbohydrate diet gained widespread popularity in the 1990s due to their favorable effects on weight loss and diabetes among others with good short-term safety data. People on ketogenic diets exist in a state of “dietary ketosis” in which the body production of ketone is equal to consumption and no harmful effects of ketonemia occur. However, in face of stress, the harmless “dietary ketosis” can lead to profound acid-base disturbances due to massive overproduction of ketone bodies that overwhelms the acid buffer system of the body. A handful of case reports have been published on this topic calling the safety of ketogenic diet into question. In this article, we chronicle a unique case of ketogenic (Atkins) diet–associated ketoacidosis, and we present a comprehensive literature review on the etiology of ketoacidosis.
Highlights
Ketone bodies are formed by the deamination of amino acids and degradation of fatty acids in times of severe stress, diabetes, alcoholism, starvation, and pregnancy.[1]
We present a case of a young nonpregnant female with no history of alcoholism, diabetes, or starvation presenting with dialysis-refractory metabolic acidosis due to Atkins diet– associated ketoacidosis
Even though studies have shown that low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) is effective for weight loss and causes improvement in cardiovascular risk factors, there are still controversies surrounding the use of this diet, one of the most serious of which is nondiabetic ketoacidosis (NDKA).[4]
Summary
Ketone bodies are formed by the deamination of amino acids and degradation of fatty acids in times of severe stress, diabetes, alcoholism, starvation, and pregnancy.[1]. Diabetic ketoacidosis, poisoning with toxic alcohols, and pregnancy-induced ketosis were considered, but they were ruled out with the appropriate studies She was initially stabilized with aggressive volume resuscitation, sodium bicarbonate therapy, and ventilator support. After a few hours of hemodialysis, repeat laboratory tests showed worsening acidosis with serum bicarbonate dipping down to 12 mmol/L At this point, endocrinology was consulted and serum was tested for possible ketonemia, which turned out to have βhydroxybutyrate (β-hB) levels of 120.1 mg/dL (normally less than 3 mg/dL). She was extubated and shifted to a general medicine floor on the second day of her presentation On further questioning, she admitted to following a strict commercially available ketogenic diet (Atkins diet) for the past 2 months. A follow-up after 3 months revealed that she was doing well and was not following the Atkins diet anymore
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Journal of Investigative Medicine High Impact Case Reports
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
