Rate of Admission to the Intensive Care Unit in Patients with Diabetic Ketoacidosis and Its Associated Risk Factors: A Single-Center Experience

Objective: Diabetic ketoacidosis is one of the most common causes of admission to the intensive care unit in Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to investigate the rate of diabetic ketoacidosis-related intensive care unit admission and related risk factors and to determine the rate of intensive care unit readmission and mortality in a single tertiary health care center.

Methods: This retrospective record review study was based on diabetic ketoacidosis patients aged ≥15 years admitted to the intensive care unit of King Abdulaziz University Hospital from 2018 to 2020. Associations between variables such as patient demographics, precipitating factors, biochemical data, intensive care unit stay details, complications within the study period, and history of readmission to intensive care unit were performed. Statistical analysis was done using RStudio program. Factors associated with the primary outcome variables were further entered in a multivariate binary logistic regression analysis to assess the independent relationships.

Results: Of all diabetic ketoacidosis-related admissions, 28.4% of the admissions matched the study criteria. In 50% of cases, the precipitating cause for diabetic ketoacidosis which leads to intensive care unit admission was medication nonadherence, followed by infectious disease and severe diabetic ketoacidosis. Based on the multivariate regression analysis using patients’ age and medication incompliance as independent variables, being an older adult (>60 years) was the sole risk factor for death among patients under study (odds ratio=23.3, 95% confidence interval, 3.0-65.3, P = .005).

Conclusion: Our findings highlight that the intensive care unit admission rate of diabetic ketoacidosis remains a significant health problem. Significant independent associated factors for intensive care unit admission were old age and medication nonadherence.

Cite this article as: Samargandy S, Alotaibi R, Alghamdi M, et al. Rate of admission to the intensive care unit in patients with diabetic ketoacidosis and its associated risk factors: A single-center experience. Endocrinol Res Pract. 2023;27(4):213-220.