ketoacidosis

(noun)

A severe form of ketosis, most commonly seen in diabetics, in which so much ketone is produced that acidosis occurs.

Related Terms

Examples of ketoacidosis in the following topics:

  • Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

    • About a quarter of people with new type 1 diabetes have developed some degree of diabetic ketoacidosis (a type of metabolic acidosis which is caused by high concentrations of ketone bodies, formed by the breakdown of fatty acids and the deamination of amino acids) by the time the diabetes is recognized.
    • Untreated type 1 diabetes commonly leads to coma, often from diabetic ketoacidosis, which is fatal if untreated.
    • Ketoacidosis causes cerebral edema (accumulation of liquid in the brain).
    • This complication is very life-threatening; it makes ketoacidosis the most common cause of death in pediatric diabetes.