
July 10, 2001
Hyperglycemia and DKA
Question from Longs, South Carolina, USA:
Can a person be in acidosis and not have urine ketones? Is acidosis more common in type1 or type 2 diabetes?
Answer:
The only situation I know of where ketones might appear negative would be dipsticks (such as Ketostix) which might be negative in neonatal (newborn) diabetes because babies cannot produce acetone — the substance that makes Ketostix change colour.
DKA [diabetic ketoacidosis] is markedly more common in type 1 diabetes but it can occasionally occur in type 2 diabetes.
KJR
[Editor’s comment: There are other disorders (that have nothing to do with diabetes or DKA [diabetic ketoacidosis]) that can cause what is technically called metabolic acidosis. For example, poisoning with certain acid substances will cause acidosis.
WWQ]