Diabetic Ketoacidosis Treatment Outcome and Associated Factors Among Adult Patients Admitted to Medical Wards of Adama Hospital Medical College, Oromia, Ethiopia

Abstract

Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) is one of the most serious acute complications of diabetes mellitus. The mortality rate remains high in developing countries and among misdiagnosed and treated patients. Therefore targeting early diagnosis and effective treatment programs is vital to save the life of patients. The aim of the study is to assess diabetic ketoacidosis treatment outcome and associated factors among adult patients at Adama Hospital Medical College emergency department and medical wards, Oromia region, Ethiopia. Cross sectional study based on record review of 357 adult diabetic ketoacidosis patients was selected using simple random sampling. Data was collected using checklist from medical registrations. The data was entered and analyzed using SPSS version 20 and EPI-info version 7 statistical packages. Majority of the patients (65.30%) had two or more episodes of diabetic ketoacidosis and the main reasons for recurrent diabetic ketoacidosis were infectious illness (69.50%) and insulin discontinuation (14.80%). Regarding treatment outcomes of diabetic ketoacidosis patients, majority of them (84.90%) discharged with improved. Those diabetic ketoacidosis patients treated with more than six liters fluid replacement in the 1st 24 hours had better treatment outcome by two times as compared to less than three liters fluid replacement (AOR=2.41 (1.58-10.02). Similarly, those patients who got more than sixty international unit insulin doses in the 1st 24hrs had better treatment outcome by ten times (AOR=10.68 (3.88- 20.64)) when compared to less than forty international unit insulin administration. In addition, DKA patients who got supplemental potassium showed five times treatment outcome improvement (AOR= 5.30 (2.11-13.32) than for those potassium replacement was not done. Even if majority of diabetic ketoacidosis patients treated at Adama Hospital Medical College emergency room and medical wards were discharged with improvement, early treatment of infection, ample fluid replacement and insulin dose adjustment during illness need to be encouraged.