Continuous Glucose Monitors Revolutionize Diabetic Ketoacidosis Management: Study Reveals - Video

Diabetic ketoacidosis is a common severe complication of diabetes, which develops when the body can't produce enough insulin.

During DKA the body starts breaking down fat, causing a buildup of acids in the bloodstream. The symptoms often include thirst, weakness, nausea and confusion.

In a study, published in CHEST Critical Care, University of Michigan researchers show that using continuous glucose monitors can help measure glucose accurately during DKA and potentially prevent ICUs from being overwhelmed. Management of DKA requires frequent blood glucose measurements via fingerstick to guide treatment, typically performed once per hour, which can be burdensome for nurses and cause patient discomfort.

In contrast, a continuous glucose monitor is a safe and cost-effective sensor that is temporarily placed on the skin of the patient’s abdomen or arm. However, the benefit of using it during DKA was unknown. The study, which on 20 patients. The team compared glucose readings taken simultaneously from continuous glucose monitors and standard, hourly fingerstick glucose checks.

Using 334 paired measurements, the study found that continuous glucose monitors remained accurate during DKA. Promisingly, they were able to more quickly identify drops in blood glucose levels and were clinically comparable to the glucose values obtained from hourly finger sticks.

Ref: Haas, Nathan L. et al. Analytical Accuracy of a Continuous Glucose Monitor in Adult Diabetic Ketoacidosis. CHEST Critical Care, Volume 3, Issue 1, 100109. DOI: 10.1016/j.chstcc.2024.100109