Euglycemic Diabetic Ketoacidosis in a Diabetic Patient Treated with SGLT2 Inhibitor

Abstract

Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) is a life - threatening complication and must be diagnosed and treated promptly and aggressively. The classic triad of DKA is hyperglycemia (Blood Glucose (BG) >250mg/dl; anion gap metabolic acidosis (pH <7.30 and bicarbonate <18mEq/L); and ketonemia. With Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the sodium - glucose transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), DKA can occur with BG levels below 200mg/dl and has been defined as Euglycemic DKA (EuDKA). Due to the absence of hyperglycemia, the diagnosis of EuDKA is challenging and often delayed. This 60-year-old diabetic male, treated with Empagliflozin and pioglitazone, presented with diarrhea and abdominal pain, which started 20 days ago. He was admitted with dehydration and diagnosis of colitis. On admission laboratory evaluation revealed metabolic acidosis with elevated anion gap of 18mEq/L, bicarbonate of 19mEq/L, and BG of 146mg/dL. There was no history of ingestion of alcohol, salicylates, methanol, ethylene glycol and nothing to suggest lactic acidosis. The plasma creatinine was 0.79mg/dl. On the following day, he developed an increase in the anion gap to 22mEq/L and further decrease in bicarbonate to 13mEq/L, and serum ketones were detected. The patient was treated for EuDKA in ICU with intravenous insulin, dextrose (to prevent hypoglycemia), and normal saline with resolution of his symptoms and EuDKA in 3 days. With the widespread use of SGLT2i, physicians need to have a high suspicion of EuDKA in patients who present with an unexplained anion gap acidosis without or only modest elevation in BG concentration.