DKA LAB VALUES (DIABETIC KETOACIDOSIS)

In this video today, we are going to cover the main lab values that you'll need to assess for in a patient with diabetic ketoacidosis, or DKA for short. Let's do this. Hey there, friend Christina, here with nursingschoolofsuccess.com here to help you raise your grades and have more free time to spend with your family during nursing school, so you can keep at least a little bit of sanity. So let's dive into DKA labs. So the first one we're going to talk about is glucose level. So, during diabetic ketoacidosis, the cells in the body are not able to use glucose for energy, so the body uses fat instead. And when fat is broken down, acids are released, and these acids are called ketones, hence the name ketoacidosis. So because the cells can't use glucose for energy, the glucose just hangs out around in the blood, and this leads to hyperglycemia. So you'll need to keep an eye on their blood glucose level because. Because it can be elevated during diabetic ketoacidosis. The next lab values we're gonna talk about are urine ketones and urine glucose. So because the body is using fat for energy instead of glucose, those ketones are produced. So there may be ketones found in the urine, and with that increased blood sugar level or hyperglycemia or blood glucose level, glucose may also be found in the urine. So you will want to check for both urine ketones and urine glucose in a patient with diabetes ketoacidosis. Now, the next lab value that we're going to talk about is the potassium level. So, normally, potassium hangs out inside of the cell, but when there is a ton of glucose in the blood, like during dka, potassium moves outside of the cell to try to balance everything out. Potassium is a home body. It likes to hang out inside the cell and stay all nice and cozy. But when there's so much glucose outside the cell, potassium gets a little curious. It wants to join in on the party that glucose is having. So potassium moves outside of the cell to see what all the fuss is about. So before treatment for dka, when the blood glucose level is high, potassium levels might be elevated because potassium will have moved outside of the cells, which then raises that potassium level. However, during treatment, once DKA is getting under control and the blood glucose levels start to go down, that blood pot level can drop really fast because potassium then moves back into the cell once the glucose party is over. So when all that glucose leaves potassium leaves too. It goes back into the cell. So overall there will be less potassium in the blood, causing that blood potassium level to drop. So it's super important for you to assess their potassium level frequently when your patient is being treated for diabetic ketoacidosis because you don't want that potassium level to get too low. You' be looking at their arterial blood gas values or ABG values. So you'll be looking at their pH, their HCO2 and their PACO2 values to check for metabolic acidosis. So remember, ketones are acids and the more acids there are in the blood, the lower the PH value will be and the more the ABG values will be off. Now, if you need a refresher on ABGs or arterial blood gas analysis and how to interpret the ABGs, be sure to check out the video that we've got for you on that and be sure to hit that like button. Share this video with a friend that might need it. And of course, make sure that you subscribe and click the bell so you don't miss out on a future video. Now go become the nurse that God created only you to be and I'll see you in the next video.