Table 1 Comparison of diabetic ketoacidosis in patients on established chronic insulin therapy (I) vs. not on chronic insulin therapy (NI)

Age (years)

36.68 (17.35)

44.89 (19.61)

<0.0001

APACHE II score

39 (27–54)

45 (31–61)

<0.0001

Weight (kg)

69.34 (18.26)

76.75 (23.66)

<0.0001

Chronic respiratory disease

1 % (90)

2 % (41)

0.31

Chronic cardiovascular disease

3 % (188)

4 % (87)

0.11

Chronic liver disease

0 % (30)

2 % (36)

<0.0001

Chronic renal failure

3 % (169)

3 % (60)

0.68

Immune disease

0 % (29)

1 % (27)

0.0005

Immunosuppressed by therapy

1 % (54)

2 % (49)

<0.0001

Metastases

0.3 % (20)

1.4 % (32)

<0.0001

Leukaemia

0.1 % (7)

0.5 % (11)

0.001

Cardiac arrest in the previous 24 hours

1 % (37)

1 % (14)

0.99

 Mean arterial pressure (mmHg)

87.56 (22.93)

89.74 (24.37)

0.0001

 Mechanical ventilation in first 24 hours

6 % (385)

9 % (204)

<0.0001

 Glasgow Coma Score

14.16 (2.17)

13.96 (2.43)

0.0002

 Acute renal failure

5 % (292)

7 % (162)

<0.0001

 24 hour urine output (mL)

2468 (1500–3700}

2505 (1590–3800)

0.003

 Arterial pH

7.24 (7.12–7.32)

7.27 (7.16–7.36)

<0.0001

 Arterial PCO₂ (mmHg)

29 (23–35)

31 (24–38)

<0.0001

 Bicarbonate (mmol/L)

13.82 (6.73)

15.56 (7.57)

<0.0001

 Standard base excess (mEq/L)

−14.51 (8.43)

−12.07 (9.27)

<0.0001

 PaO₂ (mmHg)

104.2 (59.88)

106.38 (63.9)

0.2

 Sodium (mmol/L)

137.88 (7.25)

139.22 (9.68)

<0.0001

 Potassium (mmol/L)

4.4 (3.6–5)

4.2 (3.4–4.8)

<0.0001

 Urea (mmol/L)

6.8 (4.3–11.6)

7.6 (4.5–14.8)

<0.0001

 Creatinine (μmol/l)

91 (55–136)

100 (65–152)

<0.0001

 Albumin (mmol/L)

31.16 (6.8)

30.43 (6.73)

<0.0001

 Bilirubin (mmol/L)

8 (5–14)

8 (5–13)

0.96

 Highest glucose (mmol/L)

23.5 (13.07)

24.29 (14.35)

0.015

 Lowest glucose (mmol/L)

7.1 (5.2–10)

8 (5.6–11.7)

<0.0001

 ICU mortality^a

0.6 % (34)

1.1 % (26)

0.006

 Hospital mortality

1.1 % (67)

2.4 % (56)

<0.0001

 ICU length of stay (hours)

41.6 (24–64.2)

46.5 (26.8–73.7)

<0.0001

 Hospital length of stay (days)

3.75 (2.39–6.74)

5.12 (3.03–9.65)

<0.0001