Alcoholic ketoacidosis

McGuire, L C
Cruickshank, A M
Munro, P T

¹Department of Accident and Emergency Medicine, Hairmyres Hospital, East Kilbride, UK
²Department of Biochemistry, Southern General Hospital, Glasgow, UK
³Department of Accident and Emergency Medicine, Southern General Hospital, Glasgow, UK

Correspondence to: Dr L C McGuire Consultant in Emergency Medicine, Accident and Emergency Department, Hairmyres Hospital, East Kilbride, UK; [email protected]

Accepted 27 November 2005

Competing interests: there are no competing interests

Emergency Medicine Journal 23(6):p 417-420, June 2006.

Alcoholic ketoacidosis (AKA) is a common reason for investigation and admission of alcohol dependent patients in UK emergency departments. Although well described in international emergency medicine literature, UK emergency physicians rarely make the diagnosis of AKA. There is increasing evidence that rather than being benign and self limiting, AKA may be a significant cause of mortality in patients with alcohol dependence. This literature review discusses the history, characterisation, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of AKA.