Detection of acidosis may be complicated by concurrent metabolic alkalosis due to vomiting, resulting in a relatively normal pH; the main clue is the elevated anion gap. If history does not rule out toxic alcohol ingestion as a cause of the elevated anion gap, serum methanol and ethylene glycol levels should be measured. The condition is further exacerbated by lipolysis, which releases free fatty acids into the bloodstream, and intravascular volume contraction. Alcoholic ketoacidosis is distinct from diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) as it doesn’t necessitate diabetes and isn’t synonymous with high blood glucose levels. (4) Both conditions share similarities, but medical professionals differentiate them through a comprehensive case assessment.
Managing Alcoholic Ketoacidosis: Treatment Strategies
If not treated quickly, alcoholic ketoacidosis may be life-threatening. The liver’s inability to synthesize and release glucose can also lead to dangerously high levels of lactate. Excess levels of lactate can result in lactic acidosis, which further complicates AKA.3,5 Excessive use of alcohol can also lead to other medical issues such as alcoholic cirrhosis. Heavy alcohol use can also impair the liver’s ability to synthesize and release glucose. These two factors decrease the body’s normal levels of readily available energy, and it responds by breaking down fat and producing ketones.
Alcoholic Ketoacidosis: Signs, Symptoms, and Treatment
- Chronic alcohol use may lead to ketoacidosis, but it can also have severe and far-reaching effects on your health and relationships that aren’t reversible.
- Both steps require the reduction of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) to reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH).
- Medically supervised detox is part of a general approach to addiction treatment called medically-assisted treatment (MAT).
- Meetings are widely available at little-to-no cost in most communities.
- Infection or other illnesses such as pancreatitis can also trigger alcoholic ketoacidosis in people with alcohol use disorder.
- Join 40,000+ People Who Receive Our Newsletter Get valuable resources on addiction, recovery, wellness, and our treatments delivered directly to your inbox.
Healthcare professionals diagnose AKA through a combination of clinical evaluation and specific laboratory tests. If you have symptoms of alcoholic alcohol ketosis dangerous ketoacidosis, your doctor will perform a physical examination. They will also ask about your health history and alcohol consumption.
The Journal of Emergency Medicine
- Glucose comes from the food you eat, and insulin is produced by the pancreas.
- Support groups can be a valuable source of support and can be combined with medication and therapy.
- Going on a drinking binge when your body is in a malnourished state may cause abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting.
- Growth hormone can enhance precursor fatty acid release and ketogenesis during insulin deficiency.
- If the vomiting and starvation go on for a day or more, the liver’s normal stores of sugar (glucose) decrease.
If you have an alcohol use disorder (AUD) and have drunk excessively over a long period of time, you may require medically supervised detoxification. Medically supervised detoxification can reduce the risk of severe withdrawal symptoms (which can contribute to AKA development) and the risk of relapse. Alcoholic ketoacidosis is a metabolic complication of alcohol use and starvation characterized by hyperketonemia and anion gap metabolic acidosis without significant hyperglycemia. Alcoholic ketoacidosis causes nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.
This is why diagnosis and subsequent treatment can sometimes be challenging, but it’s crucial to receive a proper and timely diagnosis to obtain the correct treatment. Medical professionals use a combination of test results to assess if an individual is in a state of ketoacidosis, a condition characterized by elevated levels of ketones in the blood. These tests include measuring ketone levels, often detecting high concentrations of acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyrate. Additionally, they may evaluate blood glucose levels, as well as assess for metabolic acidosis by checking factors such as anion gap and bicarbonate levels. In cases where alcohol consumption is suspected as the cause, doctors will consider this information alongside clinical symptoms.
What Are the Symptoms of Alcoholic Ketoacidosis?
- Additionally, they may evaluate blood glucose levels, as well as assess for metabolic acidosis by checking factors such as anion gap and bicarbonate levels.
- Dehydration and volume constriction directly decrease the ability of the kidneys to excrete ketoacids.
- These two factors decrease the body’s normal levels of readily available energy, and it responds by breaking down fat and producing ketones.
Clinical studies of alcoholic ketoacidosis
