Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Diabetic coma
Introduction
Diabetic coma is a life-threatening diabetic complication.
What are the symptoms of Diabetic coma?
The same symptoms of all kinds of causes may be consciousness disorders.
What causes Diabetic coma?
The cause may severe diabetic hypoglycemia, diabetic ketoacidosis or hyperosmolar nonketotic coma.
Who is at highest risk?
Anyone who has diabetes is at risk of a diabetic coma.
Diagnosis
Tests, including blood sugar level, ketone level in blood and urine, blood level of nitrogen or creatinine and potassium in your blood, may be helpful for the diagnosis of the cause.
When to seek urgent medical care?
It is an urgent condition that needs to go to the emergency department as soon as possible.
Treatment options
Treatment protocol depends on the causes of coma.
Where to find medical care for Diabetic coma?
Directions to Hospitals Treating Diabetic coma
What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?
Left untreated, a diabetic coma can be fatal. Prognosis of diabetic coma depends on whether the patient is treated promptly and properly.
Source
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-In-Chief: Jinhui Wu, M.D.; Laura Linnemeier
Want to know more?
A more detailed clinical article for the same condition is available from WikiDoc. It is written for medical professionals and uses technical language.