Diabetic ketoacidosis among pregnant and non-pregnant women: a comparison of morbidity and mortality

Abstract

Purpose: Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a critical diagnosis that can cause severe morbidity and mortality in the diabetic population. Although it is rare in pregnancy, the aim of this study is to compare DKA in pregnant women with age-matched non-pregnant women to determine if outcomes are influenced by pregnancy.

Materials and methods: A population-based age-matched retrospective cohort was carried out using data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 1999 to 2013. Pregnant patients with DKA were age-matched with non-pregnant controls also admitted with DKA at a ratio of 1:10. Severe morbidities and mortality were compared among the two groups. Logistic regression was used to adjust for baseline characteristics and comorbidities.

Results: We identified 4661 cases of DKA in pregnancy during our study period, which were age-matched to 46,610 non-pregnant controls. Pregnant women with DKA were more likely to stay in hospital for >3 d (odds ratios (OR) 2.15, 95% CI 2.06–2.25) and had more associated renal failure (OR 2.86, 95% CI 1.76–4.55); however, they were less likely to require ventilation (OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.62–0.79), experience systemic inflammatory response syndrome (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.38–0.73), or seizures (OR 0.49, 95% CI 0.42–0.57). Among pregnant women, rates of coma (0.04%) and death (0.17%, OR 0.23, 95% CI 0.14–0.39) were lower than previously reported and lower than non-pregnant women.

Conclusion: Pregnant women with DKA are admitted to hospital for longer periods than non-pregnant controls and are at higher risk for renal failure but otherwise have better outcomes and less mortality than non-pregnant controls.

Keywords:

• Adverse outcomes
• diabetic ketoacidosis
• pregnancy

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.