COVID-19 Presenting With Diabetic Ketoacidosis: A Case Series

• Main Authors: Ramya S. Gorthi, MD, Ghassan Kamel, MD, Sandeep Dhindsa, MD, Ravi P. Nayak, MD, FCCP
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2021-01-01
• Series: AACE Clinical Case Reports
• Subjects: diabetic ketoacidosis; COVID-19; SARS-CoV2; type 1 diabetes mellitus; type 2 diabetes mellitus
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2376060520310117

Objective: Diabetes mellitus has been recognized as one of the comorbidities that predict the severity of illness in patients infected with COVID-19. The characteristics of patients presenting with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and COVID-19 infection have not been described. Methods: We describe 5 patients with DKA and concomitant COVID-19 admitted to the intensive care unit of an academic medical center. Three patients had type 1 diabetes mellitus, and 2 patients had type 2 diabetes mellitus. Results: While DKA with an infectious etiology is a common presentation, we observed that the patients with DKA precipitated by COVID-19 presented with atypical symptoms. COVID-19 infection was revealed during search for an etiology of DKA. Conclusion: It is prudent to have a low threshold to screen for COVID-19 infection in patients with DKA.