These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Point-of-care blood ketone testing: screening for diabetic ketoacidosis at the emergency department.
    Author: Charles RA, Bee YM, Eng PH, Goh SY.
    Journal: Singapore Med J; 2007 Nov; 48(11):986-9. PubMed ID: 17975686.
    Abstract:
    INTRODUCTION: We piloted the use of a blood beta-hydroxybutyrate meter as a point-of-care testing in an emergency department (ED) to establish its role in distinguishing ketosis/ketoacidosis from simple hyperglycaemia, and develop guidelines for its use in the ED. METHODS: 111 consecutive patients presenting with capillary glucose levels exceeding 14 mmol/L had a simultaneous blood ketone measurement at triage. This was correlated with clinical diagnosis, venous bicarbonate levels and urine ketone testing. RESULTS: The median beta-hydroxybutyrate levels was 5.7 (range 4.3-6.0) mmol/L for patients with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and 0.1 (0.0-3.2) mmol/L for the remaining patients. Only 47.7 percent could provide urine samples in the ED. A blood ketone result of 3.5 mmol/L yielded 100 percent specificity and sensitivity for the diagnosis of DKA. CONCLUSION: This is a useful tool that allows clinicians to immediately distinguish between simple hyperglycaemia and potentially life-threatening ketotic states. We formulated simple guidelines for its utilisation in an ED setting.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]