Diabetic ketoacidosis. Treatment strategies to avoid complications.

Diabetic ketoacidosis is a serious and complex metabolic disorder that usually occurs in young persons. Appropriate management includes administration of fluids, insulin, and potassium and a thorough search for a precipitating cause. Careful and frequent follow-up and careful record keeping are needed to track important data. Many of the fatal complications of diabetic ketoacidosis are preventable, particularly those caused by hypokalemia and untreated infection.